(Trinidad Guardian) State-owned hotel Hyatt Regency Trinidad has signalled its intention to temporarily lay-off staff and possibly even consider permanent job cuts in the future.
In a letter to “Dear Valued Hyatt Trinidad Colleagues” on Friday, the hotel’s general manager Richard Westell told of the “difficult decisions” the company would have to take as a result of the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In response to the unprecedented decline in travel demand we have seen across the globe, we have had to take significant actions that have deeply impacted our operations and colleagues at Hyatt Regency Trinidad,” the letter stated.
“Unfortunately, as a result, we made the extremely difficult decision to implement temporary lay-offs across our hotel workforce for a portion of our colleagues. While we have made significant cost-saving measures as an effort to avoid this scenario, ultimately, these measures were necessary to secure the hotel’s long-term viability,” it stated.
“While our hope remains that all of the furloughs will be temporary, we must prepare for longer-term employment losses,” the letter stated.
The letter from Westell stated that Hyatt will continue to staff the hotel based on “anticipated occupancy levels.”
Affected employees are expected to receive their letters about the job statuses today.