Coronavirus: City of Kettering lays off or furloughs nearly 250 part-time employees

KETTERING — About 240 part-time workers with the City of Kettering will be laid off or furloughed starting Monday, April 27, according to the city.

The city has notified 201 employees that they will be laid off and 42 others that they will be furloughed.

Over 90 percent of the impacted employees work in the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, according to the release. The other 10 percent includes staff in administrative systems, engineering and public service. The furloughs and layoffs do not affect full-time employees.

>> Coronavirus: What you need to know Thursday

“The City of Kettering prides itself on the exceptional service its employees provide our residents and businesses,” City Manager Mark Schwieterman said in a news release. “It is unfortunate that we need to take these actions. We are grateful for the service these employees give to our community, and we look forward to the day they can come back and provide excellent service to our residents. The health and safety of our residents is top priority, and we look forward to offering the amenities and programs they enjoy.”

The city anticipates the temporary reduction in staff will save between $40,000 and $50,000 per week in payroll costs.

“We are hopeful that this ends soon. As soon as guidelines from the Governor, CDC and Ohio Department of Health phase things in, we will work to reunite our team,” the city said.

© 2020 Cox Media Group