SMITHFIELD – FGX International Inc. has filed notice with the state of a mass layoff of 341 workers at the company’s location here, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company is headquartered in Smithfield and owned by Essilor International.
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The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification was filed with the R.I. Department of Labor and Training on April 17 and was effective the same day.
The company told DLT that the local layoffs were part of a permanent layoff of 3,182 workers comprised part of its field-service merchandising workforce. Those laid off worked across all 50 states, according to the company. The company told the DLT that as the layoffs were due to the pandemic, employees are expected to return to work.
The company also said that while it did not think the multistate layoffs triggered the requirements of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, it, “nonetheless thought it was appropriate to alert [DLT] to this action.”
FGX indicated it was not closing its Smithfield location and said in the filing affected employees were not unionized.
The company is a designer and marketer of nonprescription eyewear, including brands such as Foster Grant, Sight Vision Magnivision, Gargoyles, Corrine McCormack and SolarShield.
