Athletics Get Employee Assistance Program Going Even as Some Furloughed Workers Return

Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher makes good on his promise as club institutes an employee assistance program for furloughed employees, even as some of those employees are coming back to work.

With the Major League Baseball season ready to make its bow in the Coliseum Saturday afternoon with a pitchers-and-catchers workout, the Oakland A’s are bringing other employees back from furlough.

It’s been a difficult spring/summer, however, and the A’s have established an employee assistance program available both to those still on furlough and those who are have been recently recalled.

The San Francisco Chronicle obtained a copy of a letter sent to furloughed employees and said the team is allowing eligible employees to apply for tax-free grants worth $2,500 and they may receive $500 in the first pay period after they return from their furloughs.

Through the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic-induced shutdown, the club has seen to it that employees retained their health and pension benefits.

Back on June 1, the A’s were one of many MLB teams to issue wide-ranging furloughs. Oakland wound up issuing furloughs to more than half of the baseball operations staff and about the same percentage of the business operation.

Some scouts were brought back quickly and the Chronicle said a total of eight amateur scouts have been brought back to date. The club has set Sept. 1 as a target date to bring all their scouts back.

With the big-league season having been put back on the schedule with a three-week workout period to be followed by a 60-game season due to start the weekend of July 23-25, other employees are being brought back as needed.

The first A’s workout will be Saturday afternoon with pitchers and catchers involved, a little more than half of the 42-man pool of players vying to be on the 30-man roster that will start the season. The full 42 are expected to be on hand for a workout Sunday.

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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