THE SS&A Club has been left with a skeleton staff of 10 people working only four days a week after the hammer blow to shut licensed clubs was made as part of the fight against coronavirus.
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"Having to stand down a number of our staff has been a challenging time for all involved," SS&A chief executive Gerard Darmody said.
"Sadly, for our casual staff, more than 50 people, they have had their hours dry up immediately.
"We've been able to direct them toward government agencies and other local or larger businesses looking to employ as their demands increase.
"One of the most difficult impacts is on our full-time and part-time staff, more than 50 employees who, through no fault of their own, have had to be stood down.
"We've been able to provide them with three weeks' pay and access to annual leave, so hopefully that helps them through a period.
"It's a very difficult and challenging time, but I must say I've been extremely proud of our staff and the way they've handled themselves."
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The full-time and part-time employees at the club will be re-employed when it re-opens after the COVID-19 crisis and casuals will be returned on demand.
The club has just completed a significant refurbishment of its upstairs auditorium.
It was due to re-open tonight for a function attended by 500 people.
"For now, our business is in a hibernation phase," Mr Darmody said.
"We've started planning already for what the future looks like when we eventually open the doors and go back to some normality.
"The challenge is not knowing when that will be.
"To our members in particular, especially those loyal members who visit our venue on a regular basis, you are in our thoughts.
"To our staff, suppliers and the community more broadly, we really appreciate what everyone is doing to try and navigate their way through this challenging time."
