MONTICELLO — Resorts World Catskills is extending furloughed employees for at least six months amid uncertainties surrounding the opening of the casino.

Empire Resorts, which is owned by Kien Huat Realty Sdn Bhd of Genting Group, sent WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notices yesterday to 1,256 employees at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello and 955 employees at Resorts World Casino New York City that were furloughed on April 15.

As required by federal and New York State law, this notice was supplied pursuant to the WARN Act and has been supplied to the appropriate governmental agencies.

“Unfortunately, several weeks after ceasing operations in March, we were forced to make the difficult decision to furlough some of our employees. As part of that process, we are now required by law to issue WARN letters to the furloughed staff,” a spokesperson from Resorts World said in a statement.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988 is a U.S. labor law that requires most employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 calendar-day advance notification of plant closings and mass layoffs of employees.

New York State has not made any decision yet on when casinos will be permitted to reopen. It was originally thought they would be in Phase 4 of the reopening plan, but casinos, gyms and movie theaters remain closed.

Resorts World said when it is allowed to open there will be safety protocols in place, including installing advanced filtration systems, noninvasive temperature checks, proper distancing on the gaming floor, and the requirement that masks be worn at all times.

“As New York continues its phased reopening, which includes retail stores and now malls as well, we are optimistic that we will also be able to reopen our doors soon,” the spokesperson said.

Resorts World Catskills opened in February, 2018 and features a hotel, restaurants, spa, pool, fitness center, entertainment complex and more in addition to its 100,000 square feet of gaming floors.

In July of last year it was announced that Genting, a Malaysian-based company, was acquiring the shares of Empire Resorts, the parent company of Resorts World Catskills.

According to the letter sent to employees, the furlough may last more than six months and/or be permanent for some of the employees. It says the WARN is not indicative of any performance-related issues, but is a required step in the process due to the uncertainty around being able to open.

“We will continue to keep you updated on our reopening plans as they develop,” the letter says. “Whenever we are told that we will be allowed to open, we will institute whatever protocols are necessary and work to get our terrific workforce back to their jobs.”

The letter says employees may be eligible to receive job retraining, re-employment services, or other assistance with obtaining new employment from the New York State Department of Labor or its workforce partners. They may also be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

Sullivan County receives quarterly payments from the casino, which will now be at zero (see story on page 1.)