Citing significantly impacted operations due to Covid-19, on Friday Roger Williams University notified approximately 170 dining services and 12 shuttle personnel that they will be placed on a temporary layoff.

The furlough will begin effective April 4 and will continue until the university’s operational needs allow them to bring them back.

A statement from university read, in part, “… we are having to take difficult actions that nearly every industry across the nation is also facing right now. Dining services on university campuses function just like the restaurant business, and we are able to look ahead and know that students and employees will not be eating here for the next few months. That was a revenue stream we were expecting to be able to pay for food and dining services that has been cut off by the measures enacted to limit the spread of the virus.”

Affected employees will be paid, based on their regular schedule of weekly hours through that date, although they will not be required to report to work. The university also noted that they are committed to continuing health insurance coverage for participating employees, who will also be eligible to file for unemployment compensation benefits through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.    

The statement concluded, “This was a difficult decision we had to make, and our thoughts are with these employees and their families during these challenging times.”