{"id":34603,"date":"2016-02-02T21:46:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-02T21:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/viconsortium.com\/?p=34603"},"modified":"2016-02-02T21:48:11","modified_gmt":"2016-02-02T21:48:11","slug":"sugar-bay-resort-to-pay-employees-by-the-weekend-sen-forde-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wp.viconsortium.com\/?p=34603","title":{"rendered":"Sugar Bay Resort To Pay Employees By Weekend, Sen. Forde Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. THOMAS — Employees of the Sugar Bay Resort and Spa here, who were informed by the resort’s manager<\/a><\/span> that because of “unforeseen financial difficulties,” they would not receive their checks on the expected date, will be paid by the end of this week, according to Senator Jean Forde, who said through a press release issued today that he spoke with resort officials following news of the nonpayment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy visit with the General Manager, Mr. Zouari, was very encouraging, as he acknowledged that they did in fact experience a temporary delayed payday and that they expect to rectify that by week\u2019s end,” said Mr. Forde, who revealed that, as the chairman of the Committee on Education and Workforce Development, his visit was prompted by the need to get a better understanding\u00a0of the circumstances surrounding the missed payroll. Mr. Forde said he was assured by the management team that while the current situation has been challenging, it would only be temporary.<\/p>\n

On Monday, an\u00a0employee of the resort sent The Consortium a copy of what appeared to be a letter from management, notifying workers that their pay would be delayed.<\/p>\n

The letter<\/a><\/span>, sent to employees by Abdel Zouari, the resort\u2019s general manager, said that the resort was working \u201cdiligently to rectify the situation,\u201d and asked for employees\u2019 patience during the unfortunate times. The Consortium\u00a0tried unsuccessful to reach resort officials by placing multiple calls.<\/p>\n

According to one employee who asked not to be named fearing dismissal, payment was due on Friday, however instead of checks, employees were greeted with a letter. \u201cWe still have incoming guests,\u201d the employee said, making a point to note that business at the resort continued normally. \u201cPeople are fearful and worried at the same time,\u201d the employee added.<\/p>\n

Another employee, who provided The Consortium with a copy of the letter and also requested anonymity to speak freely, said it was not the first time that the resort had been late on paying its workers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been no resolution as of yet but a coworker said she was told by a manager that it should be tomorrow or Wednesday the latest,\u201d this person said. \u201cThis is not the first time this has transpired. One time I waited until the following Thursday for my check.\u201d This employee, who only works part-time at Sugar Bay, lamented for the other employees who depend solely on their paychecks for their livelihoods.<\/p>\n

The resort recently lost its \u201cDreams Resorts\u201d status, which boasts of offering<\/a><\/span>\u00a0a collection of luxury resort destinations, each with its own unique personality,\u201d and features \u201csun- soaked beaches, elegant accommodations, a world-class spa, gourmet dining, unlimited premium drinks, and many other pampering amenities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Forde said he was told that all obligations to the government, to include unemployment insurance, and employees\u2019 health insurance, are paid up-to-date, and that all employees are kept informed on a daily basis.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn fact,” he said, “I found the employees to be quite understanding and in good spirits.” And the hotel, Mr. Forde went on, had launched a new website and marketing initiative, including special rates offered to locals and the re-implementation of the Sunday Brunch — all in an effort to bolster profitability and drive new business to the beleaguered resort.<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, I was pleased to meet the employees in great spirits, and was reassured that efforts are being made to rebound from this dilemma without jeopardizing any jobs,\u201d Mr. Forde concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ST. THOMAS — Employees of the Sugar Bay Resort and Spa here, who were informed by the resort’s manager that because of “unforeseen financial difficulties,” they would not receive their checks on the expected date, will be paid by the end of this week, according to Senator Jean Forde, who said through a press release […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[228,3,11,191,2474,3680,147],"tags":[4229,4464],"yoast_head":"\nSugar Bay Resort To Pay Employees By Weekend, Sen. Forde Says - V.I. 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