Local officials have said they have also been notified and will work with both employees and Assurant to find jobs for the laid off workers.
“Our business and our Ohio staff have grown significantly in recent years,” said Robert Byrd, a spokesman for Assurant. “However, due to a reduction in work levels in certain departments, we have notified the Springfield/Dayton staff that staff positions are being reduced. We have made the difficult decision that 37 positions, out of more than 2,300, will be eliminated.”
Affected employees will also be allowed to apply for other positions that may be open at the company, said Lehan Peters, deputy director of OhioMeansJobs of Clark County.
“Impacted employees have been notified, and will receive severance pay and career transition assistance,” Byrd said. “We appreciate their valued service, and we are committed to providing them with support during this transition.”
Staff from OhioMeansJobs are planning to meet with both employees and the company today to gather more information about the layoffs and provide information about the benefits and services that might be available.
The company has done a good job of notifying local officials when layoffs have occurred, Peters said.
“Assurant is really good about trying to place individuals if they have a restructure,” he said. “A lot of companies just put a ‘closed’ sign on their door and people show up to work not even aware that people are going to lose their jobs.”
Several other local companies like CodeBlue, Speedway and the Red Roof Inn have also been hiring recently and local officials will try to ensure those firms are aware of the potential new employees, Peters said. Many of the skills the employees likely gained at Assurant would translate well to the other firms, she said.
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