Calgary Flames to temporarily layoff 50 percent of staff

The Calgary Flames have announced they are temporarily laying off roughly 150 employees — around 50 percent of its workforce.

The layoffs, effective April 13, will also see the remaining employees take salary reductions between 10-25%. The rate of rollback increases with salary levels with executive management taking the highest cut, the organization announced.

“The health and safety of our employees, fans, customers and the general public remain our top priorities. Postponing all events at the Scotiabank Saddledome and implementing a “work from home” program, for a business that is 100% dependent upon staging events, are steps taken to ensure we remain focused on those top priorities,” said CSEC President & CEO John Bean.

“We are working extremely hard to limit the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has on our employees. The implementation of this cost reduction plan will provide predictability of income to our staff while minimizing the negative impact on their financial health and that of the business.

“We want to stress the temporary nature of these layoffs. The remaining staff, on reduced compensation, has been retained to navigate this crisis and help us prepare for eventual recovery and the return to work of their colleagues. We are so grateful for the dedication, work ethic, understanding and patience of all our employees throughout this difficult situation.”

The Edmonton Oilers made a similar announcement Monday with 139 of their staff being temporarily laid off. Senior hockey and business executives in the organization will forgo 50-100% of their wages.

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