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Payroll delay again at IPI
Around 40 employees affected
Casino operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC is facing again a delay in its payroll due to what it describes as “challenges of funding.”
In its memorandum the IPI management issued last Friday to active employees, it announced that that day’s payroll, covering the Feb. 7 to 20, 2022 pay period, will be delayed until further notice due to the challenges of funding.
As of yesterday, Saipan Tribune learned that IPI has yet to issue paychecks to about 40 employees.
IPI said the company continues to face financial hardships since the closure of Imperial Pacific Resort in Garapan in March 2020.
“We are working to find resources to cure this delay. We send our sincerest apologies to you for this inconvenience,” the IPI memorandum said.
The company said updates will be announced when developments are made.
Meanwhile, a source disclosed that Commonwealth Casino Commission executive director Andrew Yeom is looking into a tip from a concerned citizen that IPI has not remitted a former employee’s U.S. Social Security withholding for two years.
The former employee inquired from then-IPI chief executive officer Ray N. Yumul last January about his W2 showing Social Security taxes being deducted but not being credited to him on the Social Security website.
Yumul told Saipan Tribune over the weekend that he received a response from the U.S. Social Security office regarding the former employee’s concern about his withholdings.
Yumul said any current or former employee who may have concerns about their wage withholdings not being remitted may simply need to provide a photocopy of their W2 for the affected period and a copy of their driver’s license.
He said the employee must place the documents in a sealed envelope and drop it at the local Social Security Office at the Mariana Heights 2 Building in Puerto Rico and the person will be credited their withholdings.
Yumul said that Bridget Camacho, who is with the local U.S. Social Security office, provided him the response.
Yumul did receive an email from the same concerned former employee while he was still IPI’s CEO. Yumul’s resignation from IPI took effect on Feb. 1, 2022.
