Regional casino operator Boyd Gaming Corp. laid off roughly 25 percent of its workforce Monday due to “significant restrictions” on the company’s business, which had been closed for up to three months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, Boyd cited the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act letters the company sent to employees at its 29 casinos in 10 states in early May, notifying them of potential layoffs in July. Boyd told its workforce then that the layoffs could impact 25 percent to 60 percent of its employees.
“These layoffs are at the lower end of the range outlined in the WARN Act letters issued in May,” the LasVegas-based company said in a statement Monday afternoon, which was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “We are notifying affected team members as expeditiously as we can.”
Boyd furloughed much of its 25,000-person workforce in April and the company’s executive leadership team took “significant salary reductions.” The company’s board suspended director compensation, and non-furloughed members of the company’s corporate and property management teams took a salary cut.
A Boyd spokesman did not say how many workers were involved in the layoffs, saying only that the move was companywide.
“This was an extremely difficult decision for our company, and one we had hoped would not be necessary,” the statement continued.“To assist impacted team members during this difficult time, we will be providing financial assistance to those who are affected.”
Since shutting down its entire casino portfolio in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the company has reopened 26 of its 29 casinos. The only properties still closed are in Southern Nevada – Eastside Cannery on the Boulder Strip, Eldorado in Henderson, and Main Street Station in downtown Las Vegas.
“While we have been able to reopen most of our properties …, we are still facing significant restrictions on our business, and visitation levels remain well below pre-pandemic levels,” the company stated. “Given these ongoing challenges and (the) continued uncertainty, we are moving forward with permanent layoffs of team members who were still on furlough and had not been recalled to work.”
Boyd said its casinos had reopened with limited amenities and capacity restrictions, in compliance with state and local requirements. The company has also instituted its own set of health and safety protocols aimed at protecting employees and guests. Those protocols include mandatory face coverings and temperature checks for all employees, social distancing restrictions, hand sanitizer dispensers throughout all properties, and enhanced cleaning and sanitation measures.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
