Saratoga Casino Hotel, Rivers Casino & Resort Issues “WARN Act” Early Warning of Closures and Layoffs To Workers

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs, and Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady each announced this week that they have issued Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN Act) notices to their furloughed team members. 

At Saratoga, more than 80 percent of the company’s workforce was impacted by the properties temporary closure beginning March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the initial closure, all furloughed team members received salary and wages for two weeks and currently all team members remain covered by the company’s health insurance.

Saratoga Casino Hotel will issue the legally required WARN Act notices due to circumstances beyond the company’s control and the uncertainty surrounding when the property will be allowed to reopen.  Federal law requires large employers to issue WARN notices when a furlough or layoff is reasonably expected to stretch beyond six-months, and at this time it remains unclear as to when team members would be allowed to return to work. Advanced notice gives workers, their families, and communities time to transition, seek new employment, and enter workforce training programs.

Furloughed team members at Saratoga number 401. More than 1,000 Rivers team members have been furloughed after salaries and wages were retained for four weeks following the March 15 temporary closure of the property in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

Both casinos say they would like to reopen as soon as the state permits.