The outbreak of COVID-19 saw The College at Brockport effectively close down to its students, moving classes to remote formats and making moving out of the dormitories mandatory with few special exceptions. This affected the dining halls on campus, as the less people on campus, the less need for food options.
Brockport Auxiliary Service Corporation (BASC) told staff there would be “significant” temporary layoffs following Spring Break.
“As you are likely aware, various changes in operations have been mandated by New York State over the last week or so in response to the COVID-19 outbreak,” an email to employees read. “Unfortunately, these unforeseen circumstances have resulted in a sudden and drastic reduction in the need for services of the BASC. Layoffs are expected to commence on Sunday, March 22, 2020. This letter serves to give you notice that your position at BASC will be eliminated effective March 22, 2020.”
The email continued with a brief statement about how seniority does not affect who will be laid off, stating “BASC policies do not provide you with ‘bumping rights.’” However, the email mentioned the layoffs were expected to be temporary.
“BASC is not closing completely, and at this time, BASC expects the layoffs to be temporary in nature,” the email read. “BASC hopes to resume normal operations at the start of the fall academic semester of 2020.”
Matthew Lauster, a senior at Brockport, worked in Harrison Dining Hall for three years. Lauster began as a student worker until the fall of 2018 when he was promoted to student manager, a position he kept until the lay off. Prior to the mandatory dorm checkout, Lauster had planned to stay in his townhome and continue to work.
Lauster initially learned of his termination by an email sent by the head of Human Resources for BASC, and he said it came as “a shock and disappointment” to him for a variety of reasons, including the loss of an on-campus job flexible with his class schedule.
“Also, this being my senior year at Brockport, this was my last semester working there, and not being able to say goodbye to everyone you have worked with and made friendships with was unfortunate as well to say the least,” Lauster said. “Even though there are times Harrison Hall makes me want to pull my hair out, the positive memories and great people I have met – both students and full time workers – outweighed those times.”
While leaving was difficult without a proper goodbye, Lauster does believe it was for the best.
“Personally, it was sad having to leave so abruptly,” Lauster said. “At first I was upset for numerous reasons, but looking back at it and seeing everyone else going through the same circumstances in the news, it was probably the right choice along, with being a very difficult one for them to make.”
Another student worker at Harrison, Dave Johnson, received the news the same way. Johnson worked at Harrison for one semester prior to the lay off. He, too, planned to return to campus from Syracuse, New York, after Spring Break but moved off campus after the college alerted students of the mandatory checkout.
Johnson said he wasn’t surprised by BASC’s decision.
“Prior to getting the official email, I thought about it right before I went on break,” Johnson said. “I thought, ‘if this gets worse, I won’t be able to work.’”
Not having this job stops Johnson from saving money, leaving him to possibly ask his parents for textbooks and other out of pocket expenses. However, unlike Lauster who is graduating in May, Johnson will likely be able to pick up shifts in the fall.
It was not only students affected by the layoffs. Erin Van Dorn, who has worked for BASC for 25 years, was not spared. Van Dorn has been off work “ever since Spring Break” and was alerted of the temporary lay offs by her boss.
Van Dorn said the lay off was surprising to her, but she would receive 10 hours of sick leave.
“It was a shock because I’m used to working,” Van Dorn said. “I did manage to get on unemployment, so that will help a little bit for me I think.”
While this is a shift to her daily life, she is thankful she is not in harm’s way of the virus, stating she was afraid she was going to get it prior to the layoffs. Being around people all the time in the dish room is different from the world most are living now, but Van Dorn said she’s “doing OK” with the isolation and living with family, which helps her “cope a little bit.”
As BASC wrote in its email to employees, the layoffs are expected to be temporary, but they have left many with a feeling of uncertainty until things return to normal.
Originally published as an online exclusive for The Stylus.
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