DunnCox lays off 58 workers over COVID-19 pinch

Effective today, approximately 58 employees of DunnCox, one of Jamaica’s largest law firms, have been laid off for two months as the financial battering caused by the coronavirus pandemic continues to take hold.

But, the affected staff have been invited to re-apply for work “on a reduced scale and with varied compensation”, Courtney Bailey, a partner in the firm told employees in an email.

The layoff ends on June 30.

The firm's 13 partners are not among those who have been laid off. 

Emile Leiba, president of the Jamaican Bar Association, is a partner at the firm.

There are also six associates and eight consultants, according to its website.

“We have organised our affairs in the best interest of our clients and the DunnCox team during this challenging time that has affected us all,” the firm said in a statement this afternoon.

“We are pleased that our entire team has responded positively to our reorganisation,” it added.

DunnCox has departments covering a range of areas including commercial and corporate law, civil litigation, property law and estate planning.

The temporary working arrangement will run for the two-month layoff period and workers who participate will not get a fixed salary.

“Instead their remuneration will be variable, based on the sums collected by the firm as fee income by the end of the month,” Bailey said.

The calculation will also be based on the number of salaried workers who participate, as well as money left from covering operating expenses.

The legal industry has now joined other sectors including tourism which has seen 75 per cent or over 120,000 of its directly employed workers losing their jobs due to the downturn from the coronavirus. 

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke has said the coronavirus will cause a “massive economic shock” to Jamaica. 

The government has implemented a $25 billion stimulus package that includes support for people who lose their jobs.

Applications under the COVID Allocation of Resources for Employees programme have exceeded 400,000, Clarke has reported. 

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.