Staff Reports
A Dorel Juvenile spokeswoman has confirmed a Dorel employee in Columbus has tested positive for COVID-19.
The spokeswoman said the company cannot comment about a specific employee and could provide no further information about the person’s condition.
“For the past several weeks, we have followed what we understand are best practices to minimize the threat of the virus to our employees, including aggressive cleaning, disinfecting common work and break areas, maintaining social distancing, and encouraging employees not to come to work if they don’t feel well. We will continue to follow those practices and remain committed to providing a safe working environment for our employees,” according to the statement from the company.
The company,at 2525 State St., makes products for children including car seats, high chairs and other safety-related items.
In a letter to employees, the company confirmed Thursday it is planning a large layoff beginning next week “due to unprecedented supply chain disruptions and a severe drop in product demand.”
About 375 employees will be affected by the layoff.
Due to the short-term disruption and uncertainty combined with the timing of other business disruptions and government executive orders, a significant layoff in the Columbus plant will begin Monday with an estimated return to work date of April 13, the letter states.
As an essential supplier of child safety products, the company wrote in the letter they would operate with limited shipping and receiving to fill orders and provide service, the letter states
“The federal government recently passed a stimulus bill that is designed to help people and companies like Dorel get through this,” the letter said. “We hope the government’s efforts will cause this layoff to have minimal financial impact on our valued employees.”
While the company is hopeful the layoff period will allow it to rebalance schedules and provide better work continuity in the weeks following the layoff, the company wrote in the letter that any recall plan could change based on rapidly-changing conditions in the United States and around the world.
