Danbury Coronavirus: Temporary Lay Offs at Medical Practice

DANBURY, CT — Connecticut Eye Consultants has notified the Connecticut Board of Labor and Employment it temporarily laid off some employees, effective March 17.

In a letter dated April 1, the optometrist practice, located at 69 Sand Pit Road, said it had "temporarily (reduced) the number of employees and (reduced) the number of scheduled hours for other employees actively working." The total number of employees affected is 124. The letter did not indicate how many employees were temporarily cut, and how many would have their hours reduced.

The facility is still open during limited hours to care for patients with urgent needs and those who must see a doctor to receive regular eye treatments. The practice's current hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The letter was sent Connecticut Labor Board in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), designed to protect workers, their families, and communities by requiring employers with 100 or more employees to provide at least 60 calendar days advance written notice of a plant closing and mass layoff affecting 50 or more employees at a single site of employment. WARN makes certain exceptions to the requirements when layoffs occur due to "unforeseeable business circumstances, faltering companies, and natural disasters."

The employees affected included ophthalmologists, technicians, opticians, optometrists, office staff, marketing specialists, and more.