SC report says dozens of Horry County employees face layoffs. Here’s what we found
Dozens of Horry County Sodexo employees at HCA Healthcare’s Grand Strand Medical Center will be permanently laid off, a government report found.
However, according to Grand Strand Health, the employees were all offered new positions at the healthcare network.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers with at least 100 employees to provide at least 60 days’ notice before implementing mass layoffs.
The latest South Carolina WARN report discloses that 85 employees for Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company, will be laid off at Grand Strand Medical next year.
“On or about January 31, 2026, Sodexo will close its operation at this facility and the employment of individuals there by Sodexo will be discontinued,” the company wrote in its official WARN notice to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. The letter lists cashiers, cooks, dieticians and others in its 85-worker total.
The terminations come as Grand Strand Health moves to end its partnership with Sodexo.
“Grand Strand Health recently informed Sodexo of its decision to transition food service operations in-house to give us greater control over the patient dining experience,” Presley Leopard, director of communications and community engagement at Grand Strand Health, said in a statement.
But Grand Strand Health disputes the employee total, saying there are only 78 Sodexo employees who will be impacted. The Sun News reached out to Sodexo about the discrepancy, but did not receive a response before publication.
Although the layoffs are technically permanent, each worker reportedly has the option to stay on. Leopard said, as of Friday, all but three employees have applied to continue on, but the application remains open.
“While Sodexo will no longer be managing the department, all 78 affected Sodexo employees have been given the opportunity to continue their roles as team members of Grand Strand Health,” said Leopard.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 11:00 AM.