Chicago Bulls: Michael Reinsdorf giving paid time off for Juneteenth

The Chicago Bulls and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf are giving internal team employees paid time off each year for Juneteenth.

There was a lot of news that was positively received for the most part that came out of the Chicago Bulls camp concerning the novel coronavirus pandemic and all the protests going on around the country and the globe in the last couple of months. This truly was a crazy year so far, but the Bulls are doing their part in certain areas of the Windy City to try and make a positive impact. Some players are doing the same in their hometowns too.

And they’re continuing to try and do so from the management level at this point in time. According to a report from K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago on June 18, the Bulls president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf is “introducing” paid time off each year on Juneteenth for internal team employees.

Here’s what that piece from Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago had to say on this matter.

"Internally, Bulls president and chief operating officer Michael Reinsdorf has introduced paid time off annually for Juneteenth, which celebrates Union forces, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arriving in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 and proclaiming all slaves in the state free by executive decree. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it wasn’t until the Union’s victory in the Civil War that it was enforced in states once under Confederate control — Texas being the last.The Bulls also plan to feature paid time off for each future Election days.Reinsdorf, who revealed the organization’s plans during a virtual Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce meeting with other local sports franchise leaders Thursday, also has invited front office staff, players, coaches, ambassadors and broadcasters to participate in Friday’s peace march led by Bright Star Church Chicago."

This piece showed that the Bulls are also introducing a plan for paid time off for “each future Election day”. As far as internal culture goes for the Bulls organization, this marks a sizable change.

The Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf also reportedly invited the new look front office staff along with players, the coaching staff, etc. to take part in a peace rally march in the Windy City on June 19.

Michael Reinsdorf was the COO of the Bulls for the last decade now. The Reinsdorfs did make significant moves to alter the front office staff starting more than two months ago. They started by getting re-positioning or removing John Paxson and Gar Forman in favor of former Denver Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas and Philadelphia 76ers vice president of player personnel Marc Eversley.

The Bulls finished up with a record of 22-43 this season before it would come to an end back in mid-March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. They are not part of the plan for the NBA to resume the season, with a 22-team grouping that is competing at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL. The games are planned to start on July 31.