80 Rome Super Kmart Employees To Lose Jobs
The Rome Super Kmart Store will be laying off 80 employees and closing the grocery section within 60 days, but the store manager says the business will remain open.
According to multiple sources, the store made notice to local governments today in accordance with the WARN Act that approximately 80 employees will be affected in a mass layoff.
“No, the store is not planning to close,” said Mike Barger, Rome’s store manager. He deferred other questions to the company’s public relations department.
Kim Freely, a public relations official, confirmed the layout Wednesday afternoon, saying “we are eliminating the grocery side of the store.”
The move will change the local Kmart from a Super Kmart to a Big K. Freely said the business currently employees about 180 people, meaning about 100 will remain following the planned change.
The WARN act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) protects employees, their families, and communities by requiring most employers with 100 or more employees to provide sixty calendar-day advance notification of plant closings and mass layoffs of employees.
Comments
By tcinrome on April 8th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I’m not surprised…when you go in there on a Friday night and they have only one check out lane open, people aren’t going to wait and stand in line for that.
By TheTBoneZone on April 8th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
It’s not just Friday nights. They’re never busy unless it’s a major holiday, and even then they’re not that busy. A couple years ago I called it that the store would probably close within 5 years; guess I was only half right… It used to be a pretty nice place to shop. Now it’s borderline sketchy.
By atlthrasher on April 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Kmart has failed to re-position itself in the community. whenever I go in there, it is an utter ghost town. The staff is unfriendly and do not know where things are half of the time. You would think especially with the new Wal-mart breathing down its neck, Kmart would’ve straightened up. I am not a fan of wal-mart, but they surely take pride in their store. I would hate to see Kmart fold, but this is the real world where there is no room for slack.
By diamondzashley on April 15th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I knew it was coming…the store was completly empty practically, every time i went in. and the employees are not too willing to help you. they seem unfriendly, and not a good place to be in.