Riders announce staff layoffs after cancelled season

Saskatchewan Roughriders helmet (Twitter/@sskroughriders)

REGINA — With its 2020 season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have decided to layoff staff in its football and business operations.

The Riders are projecting a $10-million loss this year and made the decision to temporarily and permanently layoff staff in both the team’s business office and football operations.

"Since the outset of the pandemic, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have had to make difficult decisions in order to ensure the long-term stability and sustainability of the club," the CFL organization said in a statement.

In the spring, the Riders reduced wages and workweeks for staff across the organization, but said the uncertainty remaining around the pandemic led to more significant adjustments needing to be made.

The Riders declined to reveal which employees or how many were being laid off.

"As you can imagine these decisions were not taken lightly and were not a reflection of the hard work that our employees put in everyday, especially during these challenging times," the Riders said.

The 2020 CFL season was cancelled in August.