PAWTUCKET – City-based toy and gaming company Hasbro will lay off 587 employees effective Christmas Eve, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
The company founded more than 100 years ago in Rhode Island is planning a move to Boston, as previously reported.
According to Hasbro, this is an official filing reflecting an announcement made to employees last month. The notice does not represent a new announcement or layoff notice, said executives, and they have been providing support to employees through the transition.
All of those impacted were offered another position in Boston, according to Hasbro, but it is unclear how many accepted one. Numerous employees have been announcing on LinkedIn that their time with the company has ended, many of them deciding not to make the commute north or departing for various other reasons.
Mayor Donald Grebien said in a statement that he continues to be disappointed with the company for its lack of engagement.
“While the WARN notice confirms what Hasbro announced last year, it is deeply disappointing that the company continues to remain silent and unresponsive to outreach from my administration and state officials,” he said. “Hasbro has been part of Pawtucket for more than a century, and its departure has significant implications for the employees and our city.”
He added, “Hasbro has an obligation to engage with the community that has supported it for generations. I strongly urge the company to meet with both my administration and the incoming administration to discuss the transition, the impact on its employees, and the future of its Pawtucket property. Pawtucket deserves that conversation, and we expect Hasbro to come to the table.”
