Sands Eliminates 80 employees

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem handed layoff notices to 80 employees at the end of last month.  Of the 860 employed, 9 percent of the workforce was eliminated, food service employees taking the hardest hit. According to Sands casino President Robert DeSalvio, the past nine months have amounted to less revenue than expected.

Sands casino projected $347 million in revenue after all winnings are deducted, but did less then $250 million in the first 39 weeks.

Although jobs were lost in all of the casino’s departments, the restaurants—including Emeril’s Chop House and the Carnegie Deli—experienced a majority of the layoffs.

Workers who lost their jobs might be considered for rehire in July.  89 table games, such as blackjack and craps, will require 400 more employees, along with 100 jobs when the hotel opens in May 2011.

“It’s unfortunate that we have to do any reduction,” DeSalvio said today. “But we will be hiring 400 to 500 people in the next year, and everyone impacted today will have first consideration for those jobs. Hopefully, most of them (will be) back to work very soon.”

News of casino layoffs in the first year of business is not uncommon.  Gaming board spokesman Richard McGarvey says that almost every casino in the state has cut down its work force by 50 to 100 people within the opening nine to 12 months.

Source: mcall.com