An employee who declined to be identified said he was among the first batch of employees who were given 60-day notices in August.
He said they had been applying at other hotels but were having a hard time because most of these establishments had to follow Department of Labor procedures.
Labor has shut down indefinitely, he said, and they don’t know what to do anymore.
“Palms Resort is open until Oct. 11 but we were told operations at the restaurants will stop today, which means we will be left jobless,” he said on Saturday.
Some of the hotel’s employees were fortunate to land new jobs and had already resigned without waiting for the 60-day notice to expire.
The employee said Labor posted a job vacancy announcement for the jobs they were applying for, but with the government shutdown and with so many residents also jobless, the chances that nonresidents will get new jobs have become “very dim.”
“We heard that every day, about 10 to 20 applicants are being interviewed for the positions that we are applying for,” he said.
Another employee said they were told to register with the Department of Labor to find new jobs, but they are hesitant because their umbrella permits could be revoked.
“The shutdown has made it more difficult for us. Although we are more than qualified for our jobs, hundreds more are now jobless and we are afraid we will be moved to the bottom of the priority list,” she said.
Palms Resort Saipan will be closing its doors on Oct. 11 for an 18-month “renovation.”
The hotel said it will be re-launched in 2012 with a new name — Nectar Hotel.
