Sudden closure of Sam's Club's violated federal law, Georgia state official says

Walmart violated federal law when the company suddenly closed a Sam's Club in DeKalb County, according to a Georgia state lawmaker.

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The store in Stonecrest -- the only Sam’s Club location to close in Georgia of more than 60 to close nationwide -- has had a sign on its door for the past two weeks that says the store is closed.

The nearly 200 employees who used to work inside the store, along with vendors and customers, said they got zero notice ahead of time that the store was shutting its doors. The lack of warning violated the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act, said Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones.

The act says large employers are required by law to give workers a 60-day notice before terminating their employment. Walmart officials said the company gave notice the day the stores closed and that employees aren’t officially terminated until they stop getting severance payments in mid-March.

Walmart officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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