In response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has halted sports in the U.S., owner Arthur Blank has pledged to continue paying hourly employees who work for each of the businesses he owns.

Speaking with The Athletic on Friday afternoon, Falcons team president Rich McKay said the decision to ensure hourly employees were not affected negatively during the pandemic was an easy one to make. McKay mentioned there are numerous hourly employees who work for Atlanta United and the Falcons and also at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the remaining companies that are a part of The Blank Family of Businesses, which is managed by the AMB Group.

McKay said AMB Group CEO Steve Cannon distributed a video communication to all employees to ease any concern they may have.

“We’ve tried to over-communicate at a time where there’s no question people have personal angst and anxiety,” McKay said. “You’ve got to be empathetic towards it because it’s real.”

One of the major economic issues facing the U.S. is how hourly employees will continue to collect paychecks if they become sick or if their place of work is forced to close. Sports teams are no different. Almost immediately after the NBA announced it was suspending its season, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would ensure hourly employees were taken care of.

The Hawks also will pay their hourly employees during this time of crisis. McKay said he was in constant communication with Hawks CEO Steve Koonin and Atlanta Braves president/CEO Derek Schiller about the topic.

“One thing we’re led by is our core values and the way Arthur looks at it,” McKay said. “That’s going to lead us in how we treat our people, which I can assure you we’ll do the right thing that way. The financial side of our business and the impact of that side of our business is not something we’re concerned about. It is not something we’ve spent time talking about.”

What hasn’t been decided just yet is how game-day workers will be paid. The upcoming schedule at Mercedes-Benz Stadium included a game between Atlanta United and Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, with a long break before the Final Four from April 4-6. The MLS is suspended for 30 days, at least for now, with Atlanta United’s home game against the Portland Timbers scheduled for April 19.

As it pertains to the employees who work games, McKay said a policy is still being drafted to ensure payouts for missed work are fairly distributed.

“Some work one event, some work two events, some work all events,” McKay said. “We’re working through all those details as we speak. We’ll give it to you when we finish it and hopefully we will finish it within the next day.”

Both Atlanta United and the Falcons are in a holding pattern as COVID-19, the coronavirus-caused disease, continues to spread through the U.S. The Falcons initially were closing their facility until Monday but decided to close up shop until March 27. The NFL has yet to make a final determination on whether it will hold its annual draft in Las Vegas in front of fans or if it will alter its plans.

Plans all over the sports world have been changing seemingly by the hour, with everyone involved continuing to try to figure out how to best approach sports during a pandemic.

“It’s uncharted territory,” McKay said.

(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)