Casino operator Boyd Gaming has taken the “extremely difficult decision” to lay off staff members still on furlough, having warned in May that disruption caused by novel coronavirus (Covid-19) could force it to significantly cut headcount.In May, at a time when the casino sector was shuttered as a result of Covid-19, the operator informed workers that between 25% and 60% of staff could lose their jobs, with layoffs likely to take place between 1 and 14 July.
The layoffs are at the lower end of the scale suggested in May, Boyd told iGB. This comes after the business placed the majority of staff on furlough in April, which it described at the time as a “last resort”.
Boyd explained that while it had been able to reopen most of its properties since May, the business was still facing “significant restrictions”, and visitation remained “well below pre-pandemic levels”.
“Given these ongoing challenges and continued uncertainty, we are moving forward with permanent layoffs of team members who were still on furlough and had not been recalled to work,” a spokesperson for the operator told iGB.
