Embassy backpedals — employees will be fired
By Kathryn Reed
Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, aka Embassy Suites South Lake Tahoe, has changed its tune. Instead of keeping all 220 employees, there will be about a 5 percent reduction in staff.
On March 1 all employees were told how the 400-room hotel was dropping its affiliation with Hilton and instead the owners would fly solo, change the name and keep everyone employed.
Ten Embassy Suites employees will lose their job in two weeks. Photo/LTN file
A week later that message changed — at least about their employment status.
General Manager John Steinbach told Lake Tahoe News four managers and six line workers will be out of work starting April 1. That’s when Hilton is out of the equation.
But an employee who will be retained told Lake Tahoe News the number being fired is higher than that. “Some have been with the hotel for 15-plus years,” the person said.
The reason for the ousting of the 10 workers, according to Steinbach: “Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel is initiating a few different procedures – attributable to specific service needs, more operational independence and streamlined reporting.”
Employees will receive a severance, but to what amount is not known. Hilton, according to Steinbach, is helping find the displaced workers jobs. But that would require moving out of Lake Tahoe.
I need to take a moment here to respond to what I feel has been very negative and inappropriate reporting.
I am an employee who has worked at Embassy Suites for over 10-years. It is unfortunate that due to the change we will lose ten employees, but the fact is 220 ARE being retained and there has been no “back pedalling”. We are doing everything we can to assist those effected with securing new positions (with a few having already done so), both with Hilton and outside of Hilton locally.
Our owndership/management has done everything possible over the years to keep our employees working through all the challenges faced both in our community and nationally. I feel it is unfortunate that such a “negative” spin is being portrayed when there are so many positives to focus on…220 employees ARE being retained, our employees continue to give back to the community by ownership allowing them to donate their time serving on boards and community organizations, we are one of the highest tax producing properties in the city, our ownership is investing millions to keep the property an upscale hotel to drive tourism to the South Shore, the property will now have the capability to focus 100% of its marketing dollars locally as well as regional, our efforts at being a leading force in Sustainability, etc. With all the “negative” news around us daily, perhaps this writer should try to focus on a bit of positive.
Lorraine Turner
Director of Human Resources
Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel
I’d rather a have a writer focus on the truth that is not defined by positive or negative. If you said one thing one week and another the next week, you backpedaled. Take responsibility for you words and actions. Businesses change their minds just like people. It’s OK. But don’t claim you didn’t. I saw the press release. You said you would keep all employees. You told the employees that. You changed your mind. Be honest. Oh, and the one local ad I’ve seen is unreadable, so you might want get a new ad designer. I’ll believe your local ad pitch when I see one on LTN. That will be another test to see if you spout the truth.
No jobs in this town are dependable,or secure,in a world of business where every dollar counts ,but the head of the crop always seems to Squeak out better paycheck, while the back bone workers get hosed.The business in this town don’t offer enough wage or support to bring anyone here,plus other Corporation have a better chance at making money gambling than opening up here.
All the BS THAT BUILDING ANOTHER NEW PLACE BRING GOOD PAYING JOBS,BETTER SCHOOLS,ARE STILL JUST A SMOKING MIRRORS THAT ONE THESE DAYS WE’LL BE NORMAL COMMUNITY.
This nothing compared to the Harrah’s,Hoe, lay offs where they sent every u-haul available out town, we lost lots people ,FAMILIES.
These EMPTY SHOPS ,HOUSES, FOR RENT ARE ALL FLAGS FOR THE REST OF THE PEOPLE TO FALL IN LINE AS THIS TOWN JUST CAN’T SUPPORT IT’S SPACES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.
I would guess that you thought you could keep all employees, and there would be no major changes, but When John Steinbach came back, looked things over, and came up with a game plan, you realized you needed to trim back a small amount. Seems normal to me, no conspiracy here!
Right on the money, info says.
Wouldn’t they be laid off and not fired.. come on LTN get your facts strait.
When I was downsized I called it being fired. Laid off is a nice management phrase. Be on the receiving end and see what you call it.
I was laid off due to downsizing and I called it being laid off. “Fired” implies a performance problem. As stated above the company is trying to find the employees a job, including offering jobs if they will move. Fired workers are just told to hit the door. There is a difference.
There’s a difference between fired and laid off when you go to look for another job. Having not been fired for performance reasons I don’t know what that is like. But being told to leave and having my life turned upside down sure felt like being fired. And these people were told they had a job and then the company yanked that promise away. I’m sure that made it feel more like a firing, too. Call it what you want. It’s never fun starting over when it’s not your choice. Good luck everyone.
It’s never an easy time to look for work in this town…but late winter is particularly harsh. tahoe’s economy…sucks! P.S. i should have copyrighted my screen name!
When a company makes a change, it is usually for a reason. And for our town, I think it will be a good one. Unfortuntatly some positions were reduced, and it sounds like folks were released. This could have been a casualty due to technology.
I understand they said ALL employees would be retained, but we all know in the business world, that is not always possible.
I agree that we need to keep a positve spirt about this Change. This is a positive move and is going to bring more jobs into our Beautiful Mountain Resort Town. We need to embrace the enthusiasm that the owners have about making an investment into the South Lake Tahoe area and it’s people.
lol.
Sorry to hear more people are losing there jobs. It happened to me as I was forced out after 31 years with the same outfit. I called it “early retirement”. Laid off, fired, downsizing, no matter what it’s called it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
Try lookin’ for a job when your creepin’ up on 60 with a banged up body from years of hard physical labor. The prospects aren’t good for finding a job when your my age and given my physical limitations. No skills to speak of, just a loyal old worker that was tossed aside.
I hope that the people losing their jobs will find something/anything so they can put food on the table and pay the bills.
It ain’t easy. Take Care and good luck. OLS
And why pray tell would people stay at Embassy, Harrahs or Harveys with the view of THE HOLE ACROSS THE STREET! FIVE YEARS OF THE HOLE IS ENOUGH!