Coronavirus crisis continues to jolt jobs

Outback Steakhouse reduces hours of more than 700 in Connecticut; Marriott in Farmington lays off 130

Over 700 employees of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, are having their hours reduced. The restaurant group is the latest in the state to be impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The company told the state Department of Labor in a letter this week that is not planning to lay off any employees at its 10 restaurants, but due to a downturn in business it needs to decrease the hours of 702 employees.

“The Company expects this change to be temporary and is hopeful that employees will be recalled to hours approximately equivalent to pre-pandemic hours,” wrote employee relations manager Ivette Kaptzan.

More than 430,000 people have applied for unemployment benefits in Connecticut since businesses began closing around March 13. Restaurants have been among the businesses hit hardest, operating as takeout only or shutting down completely.

The company expects the reductions to be temporary, and hopes to return all employees to their pre-pandemic hours once the state reopens, and restaurants are at full force again. Hour reductions included servers, managers and chefs, among others.

Marriott lays off Farmington workers

A total of 130 workers at Marriott Hotel Hartford in Farmington have been laid off, according to a notice to the DOL. General manager Luis Arellano said he believes the layoffs will be temporary.

Employees were notified last month and Arellano noted that coronavirus has “crippled” business. Gov. Ned Lamont ordered hotels to close to people for leisure purposes last month, but is allowing them to remain open under certain circumstances, including for people who are infected with coronavirus and those traveling through the state.

“While we do not expect this layoff to exceed six months, we are issuing this notice out of an abundance of caution and due to the uncertainty at this time,” Arellano wrote.

Under new management, Crowne Plaza in Danbury lays off 78 workers

Danbury’s Crowne Plaza laid off all 78 of its employees as part of an management change, the company said in a notice to the Connecticut Department of Labor.

The hotel’s owner informed Pyramid Management that it would be retaining a new management company, effective April 23, resulting in the layoffs. The hotel closed in March, and initially furloughed 56 employees.

“Pyramid does not know the hiring intentions of its replacement,” wrote company representative Caroline Warren. “Pyramid had no prior notice of ownership’s decision to retain a new management company.”

Three more Friendly’s sites set to temporarily close

Three Friendly’s locations across the state are temporarily closing, the company said in a notice to the Connecticut Department of Labor.

The company is closing locations in Avon, Wethersfield and Manchester, resulting in the layoff of 70 full- and part-time employees. Friendly’s temporarily closed its restaurants in Mystic, Willimantic and Plainville last week, laying off 78.

First Student will no longer provide transportation for Norwalk schools

First Student, which provides buses and transportation for school districts, will no longer provide that service for Norwalk Public Schools starting at the end of the 2019-20 school year, the company said in a notice to the Connecticut Department of Labor.

First Student’s transportation contract with Norwalk has been awarded to Durham School Services, the company said, and all 81 First Student employees at its Norwalk location will be permanently laid off.