Broncos Announce How Team Will Pay Part- & Full-Time Employees During COVID-19 Crisis

The Broncos are showing their corporate employees support during the COVID-19 crisis.

In case you needed any other proof that the Denver Broncos are a first-class organization, the announcement by V.P. of Public & Community Relations Patrick Smyth on Sunday ought to do the trick. 

With COVID-19 threatening to bring the U.S. economy to its knees, and the CDC recommending that there should be no gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks, the Broncos announced last week that the team would allow employees to work from home. Smyth's announcement on Sunday added additional context to the Broncos' commitment to their employees. 

As the Broncos monitor this serious public health crisis, the team has implemented a mandatory closure of UCHealth Training Center & Empower Field at Mile High for at least the next 2 weeks with the exception of a small group of employees with critical operational roles. 

The Broncos will pay all part-time employees, hourly workers and interns based on their full schedule, including for any shift and event cancellations. Our organization is also in close communication with its community partners to help support those in need. 

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Experts believe that social distancing is the best way to flatten the curve of the coronavirus. For the average American who is concerned about unnecessarily exposing themselves and others to the virus by going to work at a physical location outside their home, it's a real worry to have to also wonder whether those paychecks will keep coming if you should decide not to go into work. 

The Broncos are simplifying things for their employees and assuring them that finances are the last thing they'll have to worry about. Again, it's a top-shelf organization. 

With NFL free agency officially kicking off this week, despite the COVID-19 outbreak, only a select few Broncos' executives and coaches will be working during the process. 

The Broncos are not messing around with COVID-19. Their in-house operation during free agency will be quite small. No assistant coaches, but they will remain in constant communication with Elway, Fangio, Hurtado, a medical person and the few others at the team's headquarters.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) March 16, 2020

The legal tampering window, which allows NFL teams to negotiate with outside free agents, opens Monday morning at 10am MDT. The new league year, and thus, the start to NFL free agency, opens on Wednesday. 

The silver lining is that, with all other college and pro sports leagues shut down, Americans will at least have NFL free agency to entertain them and help take their minds off of COVID-19 and the panic that has beset the country. Wash your hands, don't touch your face, and distance yourself socially if possible. Conscientious hygiene is one of the best ways to protect yourself in a time like this. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.