Angels will begin furlough process in June
Photo by Wikipedia user CrispyCream27
Workers across the country have filed for unemployment since COVID-19 started and there are more to come. Professional teams have begun informing their employees about furloughs and the Angels are no exception.
The organization announced that they are going to begin the furlough process for non-playing employees on Tuesday, June 1.
The team had originally pledged to pay their full-time employees through the month of May just like the majority of the teams in the league. But with the uncertainty of when the season will begin and when the virus will finally die down, they have had to make difficult choices as they begin to feel the financial stresses of the shutdown.
Teams like the Miami Marlins will be furloughing 40 percent of their staff while the Cincinnati Reds have said 25 percent.
Just like the Angels, most teams will begin the process June 1 but the Tampa Bay Rays began theirs in late April as they were the first to implement these cost-cutting measures. Others, like the Seattle Mariners, have chosen to avoid this as they have cut the salaries by at least 20 percent for those making $60,000 or more a year.
Almost every department in the Angels organization will be affected within their offices and their minor league teams. The analytics department, front office, and scouting staff on the MLB side and coaches, coordinators and player development support staff for the minor league teams.
The Angels have stated that they will be paying for their employee’s health until the end of the year or until their contracts expire. They have also set up an assistance fund that is on a needs basis.
“We, like businesses throughout the United States, are making difficult decisions to protect our long-term stability,” Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey said in a statement. ”We are assisting all staff by paying health care through the end of the year. We are also contributing $1 million to an Angels Employee Assistance Fund to provide grants for those in need.”
Athletes have been asked to take a reduction in pay but it is not only them, but coaches as well. While it may not affect major league coaches, some baseball operations employees have taken a pay cut, some up to 35 percent.
It is unknown whether they will get to return to their jobs following the pandemic as Major League Baseball was still in the exhibition phase of their season when it hit the U.S. Teams have been unable to make revenue without their regular season games so most of these employees are now hoping for the season to begin relatively soon.
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