(WXYZ) — MGM Grand Detroit announced Monday it will not bring back more than 1,000 people who were furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though the casinos reopened earlier this month, the company said the pandemic still affects its business.
"Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to impact many businesses, including our own. Due to the mandated capacity restrictions and business demand, many of our amenities and venues remain closed for the time being. With these positions currently unavailable, it has not been possible to bring back all of our employees," MGM Grand Detroit President & COO Davis Tsai said in a letter to employees.
MGM Reorts Intenrational, which owns MGM Grand Detroit, will lay off 18,000 of the furloughed workers in the U.S., but it's expected health benefits will continue through the end of September.
The three Detroit casinos were closed for more than four months due to COVID-19, but reopened on Aug. 5 with 15% capacity.
· MGM has established assistance/support for impacted employees
o Employees separated on Aug. 31 remain eligible for direct grants under the Employee Emergency Grant Fund through Nov. 29.
o Since March, the Fund has raised more than $14 million and has dispersed $12 million since.
o Most recently, the Grant Fund received a $2 million donation [investors.mgmresorts.com] from the estate of MGM founder Kirk Kerkorian. The Kerkorian estate has donated a total of $4 million to the Fund since March.
