COVID-19’s Impacts on BGW

[bill s]

[...]
You want it fine, I won’t judge, no one should judge or shame those who don’t want the vaccine. It’s simple as that, don’t want to have the self confidence in yourself around others, just stay home. We’ve been doing this for centuries. I can’t actually think of someone who would be ignorant enough to go out in public by feeling rough or being sick.

I want to kill the virus, make it go away and not come back. Both for what it has done to people and society. Of course, wanting others to get vaccinated and doing it yourself are completely different things. I do believe it's safe enough to recommend to others and would get it myself if I didn't believe it to be redundant and possibly more risky to me -- my history with the virus being much longer and more complex than merely getting it once, including a recent "trial by fire" which few vaccinated can claim. It scares the hell out of me what it has done to my long term health. I also really hope there isn't any resurgence due to this honor system. Hopefully it gives more people reason to get the vax.

As to no one going out when sick, are you kidding?

 

[warfelg]

BGW and KD really don't share an employment pool. KD's spin-up is very admirable, don't get me wrong, but to pretend that the environmental factors are identical between BGW and KD isn't reasonable.

This is especially true given that BGW has fairly successfully staffed up a whole additional park (WCUSA) while KD had to pull the emergency brakes on their spin-up of Soak City despite it being notably less staffing intensive than WCUSA.

I want to add to this:
Staffing wasn't an issue until F&WF and Spring Break. Then all the sudden it was a problem.

 

[panopticon31]

I want to add to this:
Staffing wasn't an issue until F&WF and Spring Break. Then all the sudden it was a problem.

But thats when crowd sizes began increasing, no?

 

[warfelg]

But thats when crowd sizes began increasing, no?

Correct. I would estimate they thought they could weather the storm of spring break and have been scrambling because the crowds stayed high.

 

[horsesboy]

e

Correct. I would estimate they thought they could weather the storm of spring break and have been scrambling because the crowds stayed high.

If only they had some sort of reservation system that would let them know how many were coming and limit crowds to the amount that available staffing could hand

 

[warfelg]

e

If only they had some sort of reservation system that would let them know how many were coming and limit crowds to the amount that available staffing could hand

 

[Rothbury]

From someone who works at BGW I was told they hired an employment agency to do the hiring for BGW & WCUSA the year and that didn't work out but it slowed the whole hiring process down considerably. One of the big issues is past employees weren't given a pass through and had to go through the entire interview process. The other issue was apparently the way the agency was paid was a percentage of an employee's pay so they were lowballing employees so the agency was trying to make more money. I was also told the agency is no longer involved but it slowed the whole process down by 6 weeks.

 

[warfelg]

From someone who works at BGW I was told they hired an employment agency to do the hiring for BGW & WCUSA the year and that didn't work out but it slowed the whole hiring process down considerably. One of the big issues is past employees weren't given a pass through and had to go through the entire interview process. The other issue was apparently the way the agency was paid was a percentage of an employee's pay so they were lowballing employees so the agency was trying to make more money. I was also told the agency is no longer involved but it slowed the whole process down by 6 weeks.

If true (not doubting what you learned @Rothbury , we just know the track record of this stuff) this is a complete mess. I get that they likely had to hire so many people in such a short period of time; but to not green line former employees and make it clear to this agency that certain people should be passed through.

I also find it a little questionable that if the agency was paid in a percentage that they would lowball because that means their income would be lower. Unless there was an agreement that there was a pay cap, but if the agency fully staffed them while staying under that number there was a bonus. Mostly in my experience the employer does get to set all of that, not the agency.

 

[rswashdc]

From someone who works at BGW I was told they hired an employment agency to do the hiring for BGW & WCUSA the year and that didn't work out but it slowed the whole hiring process down considerably. One of the big issues is past employees weren't given a pass through and had to go through the entire interview process. The other issue was apparently the way the agency was paid was a percentage of an employee's pay so they were lowballing employees so the agency was trying to make more money. I was also told the agency is no longer involved but it slowed the whole process down by 6 weeks.

SEAS must have really stripped out their HR component to need to do this. Agencies are fine for hard to fill positions or augmenting core staff, but using them for the bulk of hiring tends to be more expensive than hiring internally.

 

[warfelg]

SEAS must have really stripped out their HR component to need to do this. Agencies are fine for hard to fill positions or augmenting core staff, but using them for the bulk of hiring tends to be more expensive than hiring internally.

It could also be that HR was busy helping other departments within the park due to the lack of staffing.

I honestly question what they didn't do a job fair day. Get every HR person, every supervisor, set up some outdoor tents. Have people come in and park in the Germany/Ireland parking lots; tram them up to France. If you have ever been through a job fair, they aren't that bad. You go in and there's a few general questions to figure out your best fit; usually asked by HR since they have a good pulse on employment as a whole. Then they direct you to someone else to be asked more specific job related questions; typically done by a supervisor in that department.

Do that over a 2-3 day span and you get a couple hundred people each day. Then you can mass call people within the week and offer jobs. It also allows you to push through pervious employees much faster by inviting them. You can also save a boatload of money on training because you are training in larger groups rather than a slow trickle.

 

[nick]

I am less inclined to force my kids to have them on in outdoor settings

I believe from all the footage I see on YouTube from Busch Gardens, no one is going to question your preference.

The only place my 2 kids (youngest has never/will never) have ever worn a mask is in Busch Gardens, and they certainly never will wear one again! ?

 

[Nicole]

So, to be clear, you do not intend to comply with stated park policy?

Based on the recently announced guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, we are modifying our policy regarding face coverings at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA. Face coverings will no longer be required for guests at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA who are fully vaccinated in accordance with CDC guidance. We will not require proof of vaccine, but ask our guests to respectfully comply with our revised policy.

 

[horsesboy]

SEAS must have really stripped out their HR component to need to do this. Agencies are fine for hard to fill positions or augmenting core staff, but using them for the bulk of hiring tends to be more expensive than hiring internally.

Not necessarily Covid complicated the whole hiring prosses for EVERY company out there and even lead to some new boxes that needed to be checked in the process. Given the even larger then normal employee need and that situation it was a wise call to bring an outside resources that might have more experience in online hiring as well as a better feel for the current environment then Hr people from inside the park that where largely sitting it for much of the pandemic. This would also free up inhouse HR for on boarding and orientations and other post hire that had to be done.

 

[horsesboy]

So, to be clear, you do not intend to comply with stated park policy?

And current state regulations for unvacinenated people?

 

[nick]

So, to be clear, you do not intend to comply with stated park policy?

I don’t see what I’m not complying with. ?

Do you intend to be respectful to other guests? ?

 

[nick]

unvacinenated

Holy crap

 

[horsesboy]

I don’t see what I’m not complying with. ?

Do you intend to be respectful to other guests? ?

The current state order requires them for all persons not fully vaccinated. Are your kids fully vaccinated? If not then by definition you are not complying. Just because they are not currently checking does not mean you are not violating it.

 

[Nicole]

I don’t see what I’m not complying with. ?

Do you intend to be respectful to other guests? ?

Unless your kids are vaccinated, the requirement for them to be masked is still in place, as I read the policy.

 

[nick]

Unless your kids are vaccinated, the requirement for them to be masked is still in place, as I read the policy.

So you’re assuming things and responding based on those assumptions. ??‍
This is how I’m treated on here every day. ?

 

[Nicole]

No. I asked a question and then provided a conditional statement. Based on your previous posts, it is reasonable to assume that your family is not vaccinated, but I never actually asserted that to be the case.

I also notice that your responses have been evasive.