ONEIDA NATION (NBC 26) -- Oneida Nation announced Friday it has given notice to 1,962 employees that their positions are being placed in layoff or furlough status due to coronavirus.
The Nation said in a news release that it entered Tier V of its economic budget restrictions and this tier calls for the reduction of staff in all non-critical positions.
827 critical employees remain, the Nation says.
"We have maintained our valued employees through this pandemic as long as possible; however, with the great loss in revenue due to the casinos closing to the public, we can no longer afford the weekly payroll of $2.4 million," the Nation said in a statement.
The Oneida Nation said it is working to carefully plan to keep services and programs that support health, safety and infrastructure working for as long as possible.
"In addition, and in compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Nation must maintain a level of gaming employees, even when our gaming operations are closed to the public," a statement from the Nation said.
The Nation’s government consists of critical areas of employment which include the nursing home, comprehensive health services, emergency management, security/surveillance, childcare/daycare, management information services, public works, police force services, retail locations and school system.
The Nation said recall of employees in impacted areas will be completed in a manner sustainable to the long-term success of the Nation and the community.
