More Marriott Timeshare Employees to be Laid-Off
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Last week, some thirty Marriott timeshare employees in New Jersey, all of whom know they are on their way to unemployment, participated in a program designed to get them started on their unemployment paperwork. Federal and state government officials met with the Marriott timeshare employees at the Seaview Resort and Spa. The officials were there to help the workers with pre-filing of unemployment paperwork so that the applications will be automatically triggered into the system on February 14, the first day the workers will be officially jobless. Other topics addressed included information on job training, health-care options, unemployment insurance, and retirement savings plans.
Marriott Ownership Resorts Inc. is closing their timeshare marketing and timeshare sales offices in Absecon and Galloway Township, New Jersey, leaving at least 134 Marriott employees without jobs. According to Marriott’s spokesperson, Ed Kinney, approximately 66 of the newly unemployed will be from marketing and timeshare sales.
New Jersey state law requires that the company notify the Department of Labor and Workforce Development any time layoffs involve a large number of people.
Where Do Things Stand at Marriott Timeshare?
In December, The Timeshare Authority reported to you about Marriott timeshare employee layoffs at the company’s Orlando timeshare sales offices (see: Marriott Timeshare, Like Wyndham and Westgate, in Cutback Mode). But in October we reported on the company creating over 200 new timeshare jobs—unfortunately for US workers, they were all in Ireland. (see: Marriott Hotel and Marriott Timeshare Company to Create 220 New Jobs).
The hotel and timeshare industry has to be very selective about where they invest their growth and expansion dollars. This is not to suggest that New Jersey isn’t a great location for timeshare sales offices; but right now, good businesses remain good businesses by following the money trail. If New Jersey timeshare sales are slow, then Marriott is smart to cut back, even though job losses are catastrophic in the lives of the people who experience them and in the bigger picture, layoffs continue to feed the cycle of reduced consumer spending.
However, it is very good news to hear that both corporations and governmental agencies are taking the individual loss of income very seriously and helping workers in the transition and the search for new jobs. This recession in not a time for any of us to take an “every man for himself” attitude, but instead for Americans to work together to weather this storm and emerge as a stronger nation and a stronger economy.
Source: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/179/story/382480.html (and others)
