The NY Yankees, Worth Almost $5 Billion, Are Making Workers Do an Insane Song and Dance to (Maybe) Get Paid During Lockdown

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The New York Yankees announced a $1.4 million coronavirus distress fund on Thursday, but are not guaranteeing pay for all of its gameday operations staff during the pandemic.

According to the New York Daily News, the Yankees’ COVID-19 Disaster Relief Program “will reimburse or pay some workers’ coronavirus-related expenses, including for ‘funeral needs,'” but “will not provide ‘wages, income replacement, or continuation of compensation or employee benefits’ for their workers unable to earn a paycheck while the league is on hiatus.”

The eligible gameday operations staff — employed by River Operating Company and Legends Hospitality, which handles Yankee Stadium  concessions — are required “to have logged at least 100 hours during the 2019 season to receive aid during the global pandemic,” and the application to receive financial assistance requires workers to go to great lengths to be considered for financial need — with no guarantee that they will receive it. Workers, on the required application, will have to list out specific bills such as rent, transit and utilities and are actually prompted to upload hard copies of their bills.

Basics of the New York Yankees COVID-19 Disaster Relief Program: pic.twitter.com/iW6BuI3PiD

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 2, 2020

A 2019 valuation from Forbes placed the value of the Yankees at $4.6 billion.

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