The executives and senior management of Loto-Québec might pocket their bonuses once more this year, even if more than 2,000 employees of the Crown corporation have been unemployed for several months.
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In recent weeks, workers who were until recently awaiting a date for a return to work, contacted Le Journal to express their dissatisfaction with this possibility.
During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, casinos and gaming halls were closed for almost five months. They have all been on hiatus since December 20. About 2,255 employees were then made redundant for an indefinite period.
In 2020-2021, Loto-Québec management made the decision mid-fiscal year to cancel the payment of its performance bonuses due to the impacts of the pandemic and the drop in its revenues.
The previous year, $13 million had been paid to 3,700 executives ($4.4 million) and employees ($8.6 million).
Last spring, the former president of the Crown corporation, Lynne Roiter, raised the possibility of once more cutting incentive compensation for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
A decision that had already been recommended by a human resources committee and supported by the administration. However, it had to be approved by the state corporation’s board of directors in May.
Change
Today, Loto-Québec replied to the Journal that “as usual, this decision will be made at the end of the fiscal year when the financial results are known. »
According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Loto-Québec should once more pause the payment of its bonuses this year.
“I don’t think there should be any bonuses. […] With the casinos and gaming halls that have been closed, it is clear that Loto-Québec will have a reduction in its income. It’s a bit indecent to think regarding paying bonuses to your managers,” says Renaud Brossard, Director of Quebec.
Loto-Québec now plans to reopen, with certain sanitary measures, its casinos in Montreal, Charlevoix and Lac-Leamy as well as its gaming halls in Quebec and Trois-Rivières on Monday, February 28.
The Casino de Mont-Tremblant will open on March 3. All video lottery machines in bars will also be reactivated when these establishments reopen.
Between April and September, Loto-Québec recorded a profit of $584 million. Casinos and gaming halls reopened gradually from mid-June 2021 before closing once more in December.
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