There are more specifics now about the pending layoffs at the Hillside Family of Agencies in Seneca County. The jobs are being impacted because the organization will not renew the lease at its facility in Varick.
The plans were first announced in March, with Hillside officials citing several factors in that decision, including national and statewide trends concerning the demand for residential treatment services and challenges with recruitment and retention of direct-care staff.
Hillside said on Tuesday that in compliance with state and federal employment laws, it formerly notified the workers in Varick last week that their positions would be eliminated 90 days later. Officials say that it is better for youth to be in their new placements at the start of the traditional school year.
A recent filing with the state says that 244 employees were affected.
Chief Human Resources and Development Officer Augustin Melendez says that as of March about half of the Varick campus staff have already secured new jobs, either with Hillside or with other regional employers.
He says there is another job fair for the Varick employees later this summer, to help connect Hillside workers who have not yet found new jobs with local employers who want to recruit the remaining staff.
