MGM Resorts has go increasingly frustrated with its Las Vegas team members who preserve to decline vaccination against COVID-19.
As a result, the troupe is soon implementing a unexampled testing process that testament potential outcome inwards many such workers either decorous inoculated or leaving the company.
MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle wrote inwards a missive to the company’s Las Vegas workforce dated December 28 that non-vaccinated hourly team members efficacious January 10 will want to undergo COVID-19 testing on a weekly groundwork on their possess dime.
The chief executive explains that hourly workers must lay out evidence of a disconfirming coronavirus test every vii days. Hornbuckle says the employees will need to make up $75 a calendar week — which is the total cost of the mental test — for onsite tests. Hourly workers will non follow permitted to undergo onsite testing spell on the clock.
Workers can also obtain testing elsewhere and upload their results to their My MGM employee account. Rapid tests results are not acceptable. Only PCR or lab-based antigen tests are permitted.
Action Needed
MGM Resorts operates to a greater extent casinos on the Las Vegas Strip than any other company. Nevada’s largest employer claims it is concerned with the growing keep down of young COVID-19 cases because of the omicron variant.
Hornbuckle sound that with positiveness rates rising one time again inward Southern Nevada, “Now is the clip to use up action” to facilitate slacken the spread.
Protect yourself and those who you love,” Hornbuckle pleaded inward the letter. “Please receive vaccinated. If you are already full vaccinated, catch a booster station shot.”
The MGM leader opined that when the cassino giant’s workforce steps upward and gets their shots, it displays the company’s committal to health and safety. Hornbuckle is also supporting workers and visitors to bear a human face block out piece within MGM resorts.
A Twitter user under the moniker “Phil K” claims to be an hourly worker. He responded to Las Vegas Locally sharing the Hornbuckle letter.
Beginning January 10th, all unvaccinated hourly MGM Resorts employees will follow required to show a disconfirming covid-19 examine every 7 days. The cost for on-site testing testament follow $75, and employees testament no longer be capable to capture well-tried piece on the clock. pic.twitter.com/t2vk7eQIdR
— Las Vegas Locally
(@LasVegasLocally) December 28, 2021
“Quit creating classes of workers based on fallacies,” Phil commented. He signed his response, “A vaccinated hourly employee who currently has COVID.”
Nevada’s 14-day moving ordinary of unexampled COVID-19 cases stands at 751. That’s upward from well-nigh 150 unexampled cases a daytime inward June.
However, the scatter currently beingness experienced in Nevada is significantly depress than the around 2,100 young day-to-day cases reported at this clip endure year.
Costly Testing
Nevada’s minimum earnings is currently $8.75 for workers who dispose for wellness benefits, and $9.75 for those who perform not. For many MGM Resorts hourly workers, they are remunerated to a lesser extent than $20 per hour.
A weekly $75 COVID-19 try out on a 30-hour hebdomadary piece of work schedule would accounting for 12.5 percent of the employee’s gross compensation. After taxes, the $75 represents an even larger pct of the worker’s take-home pay.
MGM ab initio debuted a testing insurance for non-vaccinated hourly workers inwards Aug that required them to pay $15 a week for onsite tests. MGM amended that communications protocol in conclusion month past announcing that the onsite tests would increase inwards damage to $38.
Soon to follow at $75 a week, if an unvaccinated hourly worker stays with MGM for the length of 2022, they should follow expected to pay off their employer almost $3,900 for onsite COVID-19 testing.