Sole Nevada casino operator to assist
Casino company MGM Resorts International announced Friday that it would offer its workers discounts on child care, computer equipment, and tutoring. The news came ahead of Clark County School District (CCSD) children resuming their studies Monday via distance learning.
only ‘Big Six’ Nevada casino operator to offer any such assistance
So far, MGM is the only ‘Big Six’ Nevada casino operator to offer any such assistance to its working families. Representatives of Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Station Casinos, and Wynn Resorts remained unresponsive to the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s multiple requests for comment.
Tweeting about the announcement, the Review Journal said child care costs were a prime concern for Nevada employees who are not working remotely:
MGM, king of care
MGM recently said it was working towards understanding the requirements of its staff and “exploring possible solutions that could be implemented quickly.” The owner of the first Vegas casino to reopen in June said feedback from employees with schoolchildren helped guide it to create the support program. MGM spokeswoman Callie Driehorst explained:
Our goal is to be part of the solution for these parents.”
Staff can also avail themselves of the company’s Employee Working Parents Network Group. This online platform directs users to support channels and enables them to share resources with a network of working parents from the local area.
Driehorst said MGM’s commitment to the program was ongoing. She added that the Paradise, Nevada-based casino operator would “explore possible solutions and understand developing needs” in line with the continuing school year.
Easing pandemic pressure
While the Expanded Federal Medical Leave Act allows parents ten weeks of paid leave (at two-thirds regular pay), it’s a temporary stay of execution for many.
Amy Matthews, SPHR, human resources/business development for the Nevada Association of Employers, said the labor law was “only to be used for parents who have to stay home with their children because schools are closed or because only distance-learning is provided.”
“The hard truth is […] you can’t be a cocktail waitress at home. You can’t do plumbing from home,” Matthews counter-argued.