After months of working from home, a series of the National Hockey League behind-the-scenes staff will gather at two sites in Canada this week to prepare for a resumption, which halted March 12 for outbreaks of coronavirus.

But many of the tournament’s employees said they were told they would do so while being paid 75% of their regular salary, despite the health risks and difficulties they would face. way of leaving home and isolated in a restricted site in Edmonton or Toronto – the two central cities of the tournament – for two months or so.

In April, shortly after the season was suspended, the NHL cut tournament staff salaries by 25% for all employees making more than $ 75,000 annually. Employees were informed at that time, to avoid layoffs and no hockey to play and no revenue, employees would have to endure a salary reduction.

But with post-production commencing August 1, three NHL employees, who spoke out on condition of anonymity for fear of the aftermath of the tournament, said they had been told that their full wages would have not been recovered this year. The federation declined to comment, saying it did not comment on employee compensation-related issues.

One of the employees said it was inhumane to have more than 100 employees risking their health and livelihoods to bring hockey to the public and they were not compensated or promised anything.

On March 23, Debbie Jordan, the NHL senior vice president of human resources and management, wrote an email to the federation’s staff at the Montreal, New York, and Toronto offices informing them of the salary cuts. Email, a copy obtained by the New York Times, says there is enormous uncertainty surrounding our business’s future economy, both at the Confederation Office and our clubs.

The memo says the cuts will go into effect on April 15 payroll and promise that no one earning less than $ 75,000 will be affected. There’s no mention of how long the cuts will take effect.

This time, so that we can be in the strongest position possible through the weather, respond to the needs of our clubs and be ready to be strong again at the right time, on email, we must focus on adjusting our league office spending.