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FRAMINGHAM – Thursday, SOURCE reported that layoff notice were issued for at least two employees in the Department of Public Works, due to COVID-19.

SOURCE requested a statement from the Mayor. A statement was received thsi afternoon, May 15.

Editor’s Note: The statement does not address how many layoffs nor which departments as requested by SOURCE.

“As this process is still underway and out of respect for the affected employees who have yet to be informed, the City is not prepared at this time to publicly comment or share information on specific positions or divisions where the layoffs are occurring but will do so once all of the affected employees have been informed,’ said the mayor in her statement.

The full statement from the Mayor is below.

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“As you are aware, the spread of COVID-19 has impacted nearly every facet of the daily experience of the residents and businesses of the City of Framingham, and the impacts on our City government and dedicated employees are no exception. The COVID-19 crisis and its resulting community impacts have necessitated various actions by the City directly affecting the day-to-day responsibilities of virtually all of our employees. Those actions include the closure of certain City facilities, cancellation of programming, and reduction of the size of work crews to ensure social distancing. The situation has been and continues to be fluid and subject to change on short notice,” said Mayor Yvonne Spicer in a statement issued to SOURCE by City of Framingham Public Information officer Kelly McFalls.

“The City is anticipating a serious shortfall in revenues in the coming fiscal year, which we will be unable to address without reducing salary expenditures, both for the remainder of the current fiscal year and into the next fiscal year. Through a collaborative effort by the City’s Division Heads and my leadership team, we are attempting to address this shortfall, in part, by not filling current vacancies, making layoffs of various part-time and seasonal positions, and reducing hours for specific positions for the next few months. Still, unfortunately, these efforts alone are not enough to address the situation,” said the Mayor in her statement.

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“As such, we are currently taking steps that will result in some layoffs and a reduction of hours for some employees. This decision came only after long and difficult conversations between and among the City Division Heads, my staff, and I to explore all options available short of layoffs. City Division Heads, the HR Director, and I began notifying the affected employees yesterday in individual meetings,” said the Mayor in her statement today, May 15.

“As this process is still underway and out of respect for the affected employees who have yet to be informed, the City is not prepared at this time to publicly comment or share information on specific positions or divisions where the layoffs are occurring but will do so once all of the affected employees have been informed,’ said the mayor in her statement.

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“I anticipate that unpaid furloughs and/or additional layoffs may be necessary for the City to address possible lack of revenue. These are not decisions I take lightly, and they are with sad regret given the unavoidable impact on our dedicated employees and their families. Unfortunately, reductions in force are a reality for the City and many other employers, both in government and the private sector, at this time,’ said the mayor in her statement.

“These are challenging times, but I am optimistic that the City will overcome this crisis, and our employees will continue the tradition of excellent public service that they provide to the community every day,” concluded the mayor.

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By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.