Baha Mar delays reopening, extends 30 percent pay up to three months

Baha Mar delays reopening, extends 30 percent pay up to three months
The Grand Hyatt Baha Mar.

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Baha Mar announced today it has decided to delay its reopening further due to the current state of COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas and key markets in the United States.

Employees were advised that they would be paid 30 percent of base compensation as an ex gratia payment for up to an additional 90 days, in addition to any payments being offered by the government.

In a statement to employees today, the resort’s president Graeme Davis said that while the goal was to reopen in October, that goal is not achievable under the current circumstances.

“There are no perfect decisions in our current climate, but there are ones that allow us to put the wellbeing of those we care about first,” Davis said.

“This is why I am announcing that the reopening of Baha Mar will be delayed further in order to preserve the safety of our associates, community, and guests.

“While this is a great disappointment to us all, it is a choice we make with a heavy heart after a sober assessment of the current state of COVID-19 cases here in The Bahamas and in our key U.S. markets.”

The statement noted that it was expected that the virus would have been controlled at this point, but that is unfortunately not the case.

“Please be assured that our desire and intent to open the resort as soon as it can be done safely, and in a way that allows our guests and associates to do so with the peace of mind we all yearn for in this tumultuous time,” it added.

The resort also said it will continue to pay the premiums necessary to maintain Health Insurance and Life, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (ADD) insurance coverage.

“We understand that this kind of uncertainty is difficult to live with,” the statement said.

“We want to assure you that we care for each and every one of you.”

Davis noted that the resort will share another update in October as it pertains to the ongoing efforts and possible reopening date.

About Sloan Smith

Sloan Smith is a senior digital reporter at Eyewitness News, covering a diverse range of beats, from politics and crime to environment and human interest. In 2018, Sloan received a nomination for the “Leslie Higgs Feature Writer of The Year Award” from The Bahamas Press Club for her work with Eyewitness News.

1 comments

Hi Good day some of us were not happy to Baha Mar because there we were told from foreign executives that we have black crab syndrome and if a Bahamain said yes sir or yes mam .we were ask if we cant get out of the slavery mentality .we reported this so much time until employees gave up they new that no one would listen and if we report them it get back to them an we are targeted .who can help us.(who knows).

Comments are closed.