Saratoga Casino Hotel issues WARN notices to furloughed employees
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Saratoga Casino Hotel has issued Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN Act) notices to hundreds of furloughed employees.
The WARN Act, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, protects workers, their families, and communities by requiring employers with 100 or more employees to provide at least 60 calendar days advance written notice of a plant closing and mass layoff affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment.
The company announced on Wednesday, one day before the reopening of its The Jackpot Deli and Mezzanine Bar for dining and simulcast wagering, that the notices had been issued to 401 team members that are currently furloughed.
“Due to the uncertain outlook, we have a legal obligation to notify our furloughed team members,” Saratoga Casino Hotel general manager Alex Tucker said in a statement. “We are hopeful that we will have some direction from the state soon and be able to welcome our team members and guests back before we reach the six-month mark.”
More than 80 percent of the company’s workforce was impacted by the property’s temporary closure beginning March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the initial closure, all furloughed team members received salary and wages for two weeks and currently all team members remain covered by the company’s health insurance.
A press release from Saratoga Casino Hotel explained that it issued the legally required WARN Act notices due to circumstances beyond the company’s control and the uncertainty surrounding when the property will be allowed to reopen.
“Federal law requires large employers to issue WARN notices when a furlough or layoff is reasonably expected to stretch beyond six-months, and at this time it remains unclear as to when team members would be allowed to return to work,” the release said.
Advance notice gives workers and their families some transition time to adjust to the prospective loss of employment, to seek and obtain other jobs, and if necessary, to enter skill training or retraining that will allow these workers to compete successfully in the job market, the U.S. Department of Labor website states.
“Saratoga Casino Hotel is prepared to open as soon as permitted by the state,” the company said in the release, noting that it has developed a multi-layered Safe Bet plan to implement physical modifications as well as policy and procedural changes to protect the health and safety of team members and guests. The plan follows all guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health to ensure the safest environment possible and minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19 pathogens.
The hotel and adjacent Morton’s steakhouse restaurant, as well as the Jackpot Deli and Mezzanine Bar, are currently open for business, though much of the facility remains closed to the public.
More information about updates about Saratoga Casino Hotel is available online at www. saratogacasino.com or by calling 800-727-2990.