Caesars creates fund to assist team members, expands donations

Caesars Entertainment announced Friday that an assistance fund has been established aimed at supporting team members at the company’s properties across the U.S. who suffer unanticipated hardships, including during the closure of Caesars properties as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The company also announced that donations made by Caesars Foundation will support charities addressing coronavirus issues in the communities where Caesars operates. The gaming operator has donated hundreds of thousands of pounds of food to local food banks as well as cleaning supplies and thousands of personal protective equipment items to first responders and medical facilities battling the coronavirus, and recently contributed cots and hundreds of bed linens, pillows and hygiene kits to various homeless shelters and care facilities.

The employee assistance fund, called “Caesars Cares,” will be composed of contributions during the property closures in the form of donations from Caesars board of directors and Caesars executives. Caesars Cares will be administered by Lifeboat, Inc, a Louisiana-based public charity, and will be managed and overseen by an independent board of directors that includes a Caesars representative. The independent board will evaluate applications for assistance to help Caesars team members based on unusual hardships arising from the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Tony Rodio, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said: “Company support, in the forms of extended pay, paid time off and uninterrupted, company-paid medical benefits through the earlier of employees’ return to work and June 30, 2020 for employees enrolled in company-sponsored health plans, as well as government assistance, will be a financial bridge for most of our furloughed employees until they return to work. However, some team members at our U.S. properties may suffer other unexpected setbacks that require additional help."

“Caesars culture has always been based on caring for our people and our communities. Caesars Cares will be available to our work force nationwide, and Caesars Foundation will support local charities engaged in fighting this public health emergency. These initiatives reinforce this caring tradition and are certainly appropriate in these challenging circumstances,” Rodio added.