Thousands of workers are going to be affected by the upcoming closure of the Mirage, one of the most iconic and recognizable hotel casino resorts in Las Vegas. The temporary closure scheduled for July 17 is required as a part of the process that will completely overhaul the famous property.
Once completed, the revamp of the Mirage will turn it into a Hard Rock Las Vegas. Ahead of the planned closure, Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) reaffirmed its intention to support hotel and casino staff who are going to be affected.
Back in May, DETR announced the launch of its Rapid Response Program, an initiative that seeks to help the workers impacted by the closure find new jobs. The worker-focused initiative offers job fairs, information and training sessions for employees.
Besides helping affected workers find new employment the initiative provides options for improving skills, including resume writing and networking, among other vital skills.
Now, according to a report released by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, some 323 Mirage employees have participated in a resource fair as of Monday. In addition, 315 others have participated in an educational program with DETR.
The Workers Will Benefit from Separation Pay
Besides the job fairs, information and other resources, affected workers at the Mirage are going to benefit from good separation pay. Overall, 3,350 workers are expected to benefit from a total of $80 million in severance packages by Hard Rock International.
Employees who currently are not part of unions will benefit from two weeks’ pay, applicable for every year they worked at the hotel-casino. It’s important to note that such severance packages are limited to a maximum of $20,000.
On the other hand, Mirage workers who are Culinary Local 226 members will benefit from a separation pay of $2,000 for every year they worked at the Mirage.
The combined efforts demonstrated by the Nevada authorities and the operator reaffirm their dedication to helping the affected employees find new jobs quickly.
In March last year, Clark County greenlighted Hard Rock’s guitar-shaped tower. The revamp of the Mirage is expected to bring a new 660-foot-tall hotel tower offering 600 rooms, among other amenities.