Durham Bulls furlough 55 percent of front office staff due to coronavirus
The Durham Bulls on Wednesday announced that staffing changes would take effect this week because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic has resulted in the Minor League Baseball season being postponed indefinitely, and the cancellation of numerous other events scheduled for Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Bulls said 55 percent of the front office staff will be placed on furlough because of the lack of on-going operations. The organization has been able to avoid any permanent layoffs.
During the furlough period, the Bulls and parent company Capitol Broadcasting Company will offer full health benefits, including the employee portion, to the affected employees.
“These steps were made to allow staff to utilize the measures our federal government passed to support employees in these unique times,” Durham Bulls vice president Mike Birling said in a statement. “This is an unprecedented time for sports. Not only is our season indefinitely on hold, but the only way to solve the crisis is to not engage in group gatherings which is essential to our business.”
The Bulls will remain in contact with the staff over the coming months and will be able to react quickly if a start date for the season is able to be determined.
