Employees at Inn at Harvard Face Layoffs

With the Inn at Harvard slated to become swing housing for Dunster House students during house renewal in 2014, an undetermined number of the Inn’s employees face potential layoffs.

Currently, there are approximately 65 employees working at the Inn at Harvard, which is scheduled to close on July 15.

The Inn at Harvard is operated by Collegiate Hospitality, LLC, a company which also manages the Harvard Square Hotel. Both of those assets are owned by Harvard University, according to Collegiate Hospitality’s website.

“We’re working with the state of Massachusetts and Harvard University to reemploy a number of employees between now and July 15,” said Collegiate Hospitality CEO Richard Carbone.

For those employees that do not get reemployed, Collegiate Hospitality has been working to create severance packages. Jeff Neal, spokesperson for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, declined to comment on whether Harvard was funding the severance packages.

Lisa Hogarty, Harvard vice president for campus service said that Harvard is providing services to help the Inn’s employees in obtaining another job.

“We’ve offered coaching support for employees needing help writing a resume,” Hogarty said. She added that as more jobs become available in the summer, Harvard “will flag those positions for these employees and offer them priority.”

Hogarty said that, ultimately, the house renewal project will create more jobs than it costs.

“We anticipate over the course of a decade we will generate almost 3600 jobs,” Hogarty said, noting that this number includes construction workers, support staff, consultants, designers, and engineers.

Before students move in, the Inn at Harvard will be transformed to include a dining hall, kitchen, and additional study spaces.

After Dunster renewal is completed, Hogarty said the Inn will continue to serve as swing housing for each house as it goes through renovations.

Harvard University Dining Services employees and Harvard Facilities Maintenance Operations staff will move with the students, working at the Inn at Harvard while the House in which they usually work is under construction.

—Staff writer Laya Anasu can be reached at layaanasu@college.harvard.edu. Follow her on Twitter @layaanasu.