Hockey operations front-office staff members were not affected by the layoffsGETTY IMAGES
Sharks Sports & Entertainment laid off 16 employees from its business staff on Tuesday, although a spokesperson for the organization said that the cutbacks "were not directly related to the severe financial duress brought on by the coronavirus pandemic," according to Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. The layoffs "included executives and managers involved in corporate partnerships, suite sales and marketing," but hockey operations front office members "were not affected." Since the moves are "related to restructuring, the layoffs are permanent -- there are no plans to rehire staff once the NHL is able to start the 2020-2021 regular season and fans are once again allowed to attend games." The Sharks "underwent significant structural change earlier this year," but the pandemic "may have forced SSE to accelerate its internal review and look for inefficiencies" (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 8/7).
HURRICANES UPDATE: In Raleigh, Lauren Ohnesorge noted the Hurricanes have "disclosed 74 'temporary' layoffs -- an apparent response to the ongoing pandemic." Those furloughs "could be converted to terminations, should Covid-19 continue to plague the state." Hurricane Holdings filed a notice on Tuesday with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, which said that, since April, it had "permanently laid off nine full-time employees." In total, 102 "had been furloughed -- though nearly 30 have since returned to work." Hurricanes President & GM Don Waddell in the notice wrote that the team "expected the furloughs would last 'significantly less than six months and that we would return to normal operations.'" On June 7, the furloughs were "extended through Aug. 3, 'again hoping conditions would improve.'" Waddell: "It has become reasonably foreseeable now that these temporary furloughs may extend beyond six months from inception, and could be converted to a termination" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/6).
