Are companies using this as an excuse to downsize?
Some might, but it makes zero sense for Hershey to do so. Hershey has traditionally been a good stock to hold during poor economic times. The economic thinking is people can afford the luxury of candy, but not afford more expensive things, so they change their spending habits when the economy goes to crap.
The bottom line is management teams at nearly every multi-national company in America are leftists. They lack the critical thinking skills to effectively and efficiently run a business. Two dead give-aways to leftist businesses, they have some kind of department dedicated to diversity and inclusion and they listen to government to the detriment of their shareholders.