Petco is furloughing many of its 25,000 national employees, according to a letter sent to staffers by chief stores officer Justin Tichy on Wednesday and obtained by Business Insider.

In the letter, Tichy wrote that grooming salon workers, however, will be permitted to continue working "based on the current status of their salon." The company has refused to shutter grooming facilities despite national debate over their essential status, and their mandated closure in select states.

In a separate memo sent to managers in advance of the furlough announcement, executives wrote that grooming employees can not "self-select furlough" in order to "try to get their salons shut down."

"They're putting profit over groomers' lives," a Petco employee in Texas told Business Insider. "They're preaching 'flatten the curve, stay home,' but they're not practicing it. Especially in the grooming salon. It's impossible for us to be six feet apart from our customers."

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Petco is furloughing many of its 25,000 employees in response to dwindling sales during the coronavirus, with one notable exception — grooming salon workers.

In a companywide email sent on Wednesday and obtained by Business Insider, Petco's chief stores officer Justin Tichy wrote that several positions including "various dog trainer roles, entry guest experience specialists, and selling experience leaders" will be placed on a furlough of up to eight weeks. However, only "some" grooming salon workers will be included in the furloughs "based on the current status of their salon" — meaning in states where authorities have mandated that these facilities close.

In the letter, Tichy wrote that the company has seen significant sales declines, even as Petco left its 1,500 stores open across the country thanks to its status as an essential business, much to the dismay of employees who told Business Insider last week they feared for their safety.

"We can no longer continue to operate as we have so far," Tichy wrote. "To ensure our ability to weather this storm, and come out of it even stronger, we've made some difficult partner decisions. These decisions were designed to minimize financial impact to individuals and protect the future of Petco and will impact the entire organization."

Petco tells groomers not to 'try to get their salons shut down'

Though Petco has stayed open as an essential business, fierce debate continues to rage across the country over the status of grooming centers, both individually owned salons and facilities within big-box stores like Petco and PetSmart. While some argue grooming is a vanity service — similar to human haircuts, which have been indefinitely halted due to the closure of salons and spas — others say it's essential to maintaining the hygiene of pets.

In a separate memo sent to managers in advance of the furlough announcement, Petco executives wrote that the company decided which grooming salons would stay open versus those that would shutter "in accordance with government guidelines or those where significant staffing issues were experienced."

The memo, which was also obtained by Business Insider, includes answers for managers to frequently asked questions. For example, "Can partners 'self-select' furlough or try to get their salons shut down?" — executives provided a response that quickly shuts down this option and discourages such behavior.

"No. Furloughs are not voluntary, and partners who choose not to work during this period may be eligible for a Personal Leave of Absence," the memo reads. "Personal Leaves of Absence are generally not considered qualifying events eligible for unemployment benefits; however, partners should check with their respective states' UI agencies to check."

Another question reads: "If additional salons are closed by local authorities, will there be more furloughs?"

"We will maintain our current evaluation of operations based on the local authorities and will furlough as is necessary," the response reads.

AP Photo/Richard Vogel

'They're putting profit over groomers' lives'

While Petsmart temporarily closed its grooming salons in March, Petco has refused to close its facilities unless mandated by individual state authorities, taking a cue from other retail niches like craft stores that used differing state policies to their advantage in the quest to stay open.

"Petco is the grocery store, the pharmacy and, in many cases, the doctor's office for beloved pets," a Petco spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider. "We're grateful that our stores have been universally recognized as essential, and we've proudly remained open to serve and take care of pets and their families during this unimaginable challenge."

The spokesperson continued: "We wholeheartedly believe that providing grooming services is essential to the health and wellness of pets.

Priscilla Perez, who has worked as a Petco groomer in El Paso, Texas for five years, told Business Insider that when Petsmart announced it would temporarily close grooming centers in March, Petco leadership said it "was a win" for the company and "a perfect time to push sales."

"They're putting profit over groomers' lives," she said. "They're preaching 'flatten the curve stay home,' but they're not practicing it. Especially in the grooming salon. It's impossible for us to be six feet apart from our customers."

When she voiced concerns about the safety of herself and her teammates, she said management was dismissive and "got upset" at her for speaking out. As a result, she started sharing tips with her clients on how to care for their pets at home.

"During this time, I feel like pet parents can practice basic grooming skills at home," she said. "I've been sending my clients videos on how to trim and grind nails, how to pluck and clean ears, et cetera. I told them I'm not scheduling anyone unless the pet's health is at risk."

However, in its statement to Business Insider, Petco maintained that "many pet parents are not capable nor properly equipped to groom their pets at home," according to the company spokesperson.

"The grooming services we provide in stores are not at all equivalent to human haircuts or 'salon' services," the spokesperson said. "Our professional groomers deliver specialized care as well as the products, space and, most importantly, skills and training to help minimize risk of injury, irritation, and infections to the pet."

As states waiver on grooming, employees fear for their lives

Sentiments around grooming continue to vary greatly by state. For example, though Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered pet grooming is not essential except for veterinary purposes, the state has permitted salons within stores like Petco to stay open. Meanwhile, in states like Ohio, local authorities recently mandated that all pet grooming facilities must remain closed and began issuing cease-and-desist letters to Petco grooming salons earlier this month.

Still, Petco continues to maintain that grooming is an essential service and is doing anything possible to leave salons open in states that haven't yet put a firm foot down on these facilities. In a memo sent to store managers in California last month titled "Grooming Is Essential for Pet Health and Wellbeing," executives shared numerous reasons grooming centers should remain open.

"Keeping a pet well-groomed, such as with services provided by professional groomers, is essential. Without proper grooming care, pets can be at risk for negative effects on their health," the memo, which was obtained by Business Insider last week, reads.

On Wednesday, an employee in California who has worked at Petco for nine years told Business Insider he had "never been more disappointed" in the company. The worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his job, said he feels jerked around by Petco leadership for insisting employees are essential and then furloughing them anyway as sales dried up.

"Can anyone imagine Publix, Ralphs, Whole Foods, or Costco telling their regular workers that business is slowing, so they are now furloughed and to go home? It's unconscionable," he said. "We're essential workers when it's convenient, during the beginning and worst parts of the pandemic, and completely expendable when we've just now arrived at the plateau and the company needs to minimize financial losses for their private equity firm owners."

He added that for the few employees who are still reporting for work, many will continue to face inadequate protections from the coronavirus. Petco employees told Business Insider last week that they had to make their own makeshift barriers and protections, while others struggled to obtain masks and gloves.

"They asked tens of thousands of their 'partners' to risk their lives by keeping the stores open, while customers stocked up during the rapid rise of the coronavirus infection while providing little to no [personal protective equipment] or social distancing steps that actually worked," the Petco employee in California said.