McDonald's to post $80-$90 million charges for restructuring, layoffs

(Reuters) - McDonald's Corp plans to take $80 million to $90 million in charges during the second quarter from a restructuring at its U.S. operations that includes layoffs. McDonald's in a statement in its investor relations page on Monday revealed it would eliminate its regional structure and focus on field offices. It will streamline its field organization and use resources for technology and field consulting. The company did not disclose how many employees would be laid off. The charges primarily are for severance costs, closing field offices, the company said, adding that its transition into the new structure would be completed in the third quarter of 2018. The news comes a week after the Wall Street Journal said that the restaurant chain is planning a new round of layoffs to flatten out its management structure further. On Monday, the newspaper said that the company was expected to detail the changes on Tuesday. "We are putting into place a new U.S. field structure that will better support our franchisees and will ensure McDonald's continues on a path to being more dynamic, nimble and competitive," McDonald's spokeswoman Terri Hickey told Reuters last week. (Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr)