Fruit of the Loom plans to furlough more than 500 employees at three Bowling Green locations.
The furloughs are slated to begin Monday and affect employees at the company’s campuses on Fruit of the Loom Drive and on Hennessy Way, as well as the Brand Shop on Scottsville Road.
In a letter to the Kentucky Division of Workforce and Employment Services, the company says the furloughs are in response to the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions mandated by state authorities.
"We would like to have given you more notice of this action but were unable to do so because of how quickly and unexpectedly our operations were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental announcements and actions," wrote Terri Wiethorn, Chief Human Resources Officer.
The 541 furloughed workers will not receive pay, but will still be eligible for company benefits. The letter states the furloughs are intended to last less than six months.
Fruit of the Loom announced in March that it was converting its production lines to make protective masks to help fight the coronavirus outbreak. It’s unclear how the furlough will affect mask-making.
