Workforce cuts under way

Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001 | 10:37 a.m.

Mandalay Resort Group, one of the Las Vegas Strip's big three casino operators, has started reducing its workforce in the wake of a citywide slowdown created by last week's terrorist attacks on the East Coast.

John Marz, Mandalay senior vice president of marketing, said Monday there have already been some layoffs, though he was unable to say how many. Mandalay has also been accepting requests for time off in an effort to reduce worker hours.

"There have been some layoffs, people have voluntarily taken time off, and there have been people who have taken reduced work weeks," Marz said. "It is a combination of all of those things (through which) we are striving to cut our labor costs."

Marz said the cuts were "across the board ... in all of our departments that deal with the public."

"Obviously we want to give our guests the experience they came here to have, but our occupancies are down, and we are going to adjust the workforce accordingly," Marz said. "We are hoping it's a short-term reduction. We will be analyzing it on a day-to-day basis."

Mandalay owns Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur and Circus Circus on the Las Vegas Strip. It is also the 50 percent owner and operator of the Monte Carlo. The company has some 35,000 employees.