Josh Harris, the billionaire owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, was getting trashed by fans, media and at least one minority owner for deciding to reduce non-contracted employees’ paychecks curing the coronavirus pandemic.
Perhaps realizing that he was acting like a heartless rich fool, Harris will right his wrong and pay everyone 100 percent of their salaries.
“Our commitment has been to do our best to keep all of our employees working through this very difficult situation,” Harris said Tuesday afternoon in a statement. “As part of an effort to do that we asked salaried employees to take a temporary 20 percent pay cut while preserving everyone’s full benefits -- and keeping our 1,500 hourly workers paid throughout the regular season. After listening to our staff and players, it’s clear that was the wrong decision.
"We have reversed it and will be paying these employees their full salaries. This is an extraordinary time in our world - unlike any most of us have ever lived through before - and ordinary business decisions are not enough to meet the moment.
“To our staff and fans, I apologize for getting this wrong.”
Kudos for Harris for doing the right thing. But you have to wonder if he’s doing so only because he was being publicly and privately criticized.
Before reversing his decision, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported, “76ers part-owner Michael Rubin is upset and outraged over the team deciding to reduce certain employees’ payment by up to 20 percent, temporarily.”
Harris reportedly first decided to cut pay for every non-contracted employee making at least $50,000 before changing it to $70,000.
But now everyone will be paid full, as well they should considering the man writing the paychecks is a billionaire almost four times over.
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