NASSAU, Bahamas — The country’s major hotels are shutting down because of the coronavirus crisis and temporarily laying off staff, with Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar saying the unemployment rate is now probably above 30 percent and expected to grow, The Tribune reported March 23.
Baha Mar, Sandals, Atlantis and the Melia resorts have all announced their planned suspension of operations. Some of the resorts intend to pay staff a fraction of their salaries during the difficult time.
“Every single hotel if they have not so declared (that they are shutting down), are probably heading in that direction as the world closes its borders and shuts down,” Mr D’Aguilar said yesterday. “This is going to be grim.”
Mr D’Aguilar noted laid-off workers can avail themselves of National Insurance Board’s unemployment benefits, “which at least carries them for 13 weeks,” along with union benefits.
Baha Mar said it will lay-off all non-essential workers and pay full-time associates “the equivalent of 40” percent of their base pay, as of Wednesday, for up to 90 days.
The Cable Beach resort said it will continue paying insurance premiums to maintain workers’ health, life, accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
“If you have signed up for additional dental, vision or dependent insurance coverage or have established a voluntary employee pension account with the Bahamas Hotel Industry Management Pension Fund, you remain responsible for the payment of any required contributions, however, those payments will be deferred and the company will auto deduct from pay periods following your return to work,” Baha Mar President Graeme Davis said in a letter to employees.
Melia Nassau Beach, an all-inclusive resort which is part of the Baha Mar properties but is a separate hotel, will also temporarily suspend operations beginning Wednesday and will lay-off all non-essential staff. See full story in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2020/mar/23/virus-takes-jobless-30-major-hotels-shut-down/
