702 Employees At 10 Major Restaurants In CT May Lose Jobs

CONNECTICUT — A total of 702 employees at nine Outback Steakhouse and one Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar restaurants in Connecticut could lose their jobs, according to a filing with the state Department of Labor this week.

The nine Outback Steakhouse locations that could be impacted include: Southington, Orange, Newington, Wilton, New London, North Haven, Enfield, Shelton and Danbury. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in West Hartford could also be impacted.

In the filing, company officials said COVID-19 and the orders against in-person dining "has significantly reduced the number of working hours for the vast majority of its restaurant employees."

Officials added, "While the company has not yet terminated the employment of any restaurant employee, and does not have currently plans to terminate the employment of any restaurant employee, the Company believes the sudden and unexpected reduction of hours could constitute a layoff within the meaning of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification ... and related state laws if it continues.

"Therefore, while it is the Company's hope that normal operations and hours resume before any obligations created by WAEN or a related state law arise, in an abundance of caution please accept this letter as notice of a WARN event beginning March 15, 2020, as business circumstances were not reasonably foreseeable at the time that notice would have been required. This is anticipated to affect the Company's restaurants nationally."

The company said it doesn't anticipate more layoffs and it has provided four weeks of relief pay to employees with vastly reduced hours.

Here is a breakdown of potential job losses at each of the 10 restaurants, according to the filing with the state: West Hartford 58; Southington 87; Orange 80; Newington 76; Wilton 64; New London 61; North Haven 55; Enfield 66; Shelton 89; and Danbury 66.

All of the Outbreak Steakhouse restaurants in Connecticut are currently open for takeout orders.

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