VERONA — Oneida Indian Nation is giving its full-time employees an additional two weeks of coronavirus-related paid time off (PTO). The Oneida Nation says it’s providing the “multi-million dollar” investment to help employees and their families “defray the economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” per a March 15 news release. Each full-time employee “immediately” […]
VERONA — Oneida Indian Nation is giving its full-time employees an additional two weeks of coronavirus-related paid time off (PTO).
The Oneida Nation says it’s providing the “multi-million dollar” investment to help employees and their families “defray the economic impact caused by the coronavirus pandemic,” per a March 15 news release.
Each full-time employee “immediately” has an additional 80 hours of authorized paid leave in addition to whatever PTO they had already accrued. Authorized and enacted by Oneida Indian Nation leadership, the measure is designed to provide “some degree of relief” during the coming months when the “financial impacts of the coronavirus are expected to be the most [difficult].”
The Oneida Nation made the announcement one day before it decided to “temporarily” close its three casino properties for “public health and safety reasons” related to the coronavirus pandemic, with no timeline for expected reopening. The properties are Turning Stone Resort Casino, Point Place Casino, and Yellow Brick Road Casino. The announcement came just after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all casinos, restaurants and bars, movie theaters, and gyms in the state are to shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The governor also urged Native American casinos in the state to close, but noted that he couldn’t force them to do so.
Oneida Nation employees can use the 80 hours of paid leave for any coronavirus-related purpose.
For example, an employee can use the PTO for “offsetting lost pay resulting from reduced working hours caused by decreased guest visits related to the coronavirus,” the Oneida Nation said.
In addition, the purposes could also include leave time to recover from contracting the coronavirus; self-quarantine while employees are being tested for COVID-19; leave time to care for family members who have contracted the coronavirus; and leave time to care for children displaced due to the school closures resulting from restrictions put in place to fight the virus.
