Softening the effects of redundancy in the New Zealand casino gaming industry as a result of the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

When the Coronavirus-19 pandemic hit New Zealand in 2020, the Casino Gaming Industry decided to make redundant a significant number of employees. Though the industry’s decision has been financially beneficial, it has led to negative effects such as the difficulty in maintaining its good reputation and preventing employees’ anxiety as there was no work security for them. Redundancy has also affected its ability to attract future employees. Solutions such as training and development, 360-degree feedback, employee referral programmes, rewards and recognition have been proven by other industries to increase productivity and decrease turnover. This is a literature-based investigation and criteria have been utilised to determine amongst five solutions, the most feasible and most suitable for New Zealand Casino Gaming Industry. Using decision criteria based on cost and business impact, employee referral programmes and recognition provided the lowest cost and the most effective business impact during the crisis period.