Walmart to lay off 400 workers at Davenport e-commerce fulfilment center

Paul Nutcher, The Ledger
Updated ·2 min read
2
Walmart associates collect items for orders to be packaged at the Walmart e-commerce fulfillment center in Davenport in 2017. The company recently announced that 400 people at the facility would be laid off.
Walmart associates collect items for orders to be packaged at the Walmart e-commerce fulfillment center in Davenport in 2017. The company recently announced that 400 people at the facility would be laid off.

The Walmart e-commerce fulfillment center in Davenport, the company's first in Florida, will lay off 400 workers by June, according to a WARN notice filed with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

“There are 400 associates who will be affected by the reduction in force,” wrote Walmart general manager Erin Middleton in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification. 

All affected associates can apply for open positions at other Walmart stores, Sam’s Club or other company facilities during a paid job search period, Middleton said.

Its workers were told on or before Feb. 24 and were given the opportunity to accept positions at other Walmart facilities or otherwise separate from Walmart effectively on June 2, Middleton said. “We expect the employment separations to be permanent.”

It's opening in 2017 Walmart unveils online fulfillment center in Davenport

Wednesday job fair CareerSource Polk to hold job fair Wednesday in Haines City

Sticker shock Polk's most expensive home sales so far this year were each over $1 million

Associates were provided with support options, including: a center staffed to answer questions about leaving Walmart, access to the retailer’s career portal, benefits information and severance pay subject to eligibility.

Middleton could not be reached by phone on Monday.

The WARN notice comes as Walmart has recently announced companywide layoffs and an initiative to install automation throughout its operating systems.

CNN had reported last week that 2,000 workers were to be laid off in five U.S. warehouses, including 1,000 layoffs in Texas and 600 in Pennsylvania as well as the 400 at the Florida location, saying the country’s largest private employer was warning of a tough year ahead.

Reuters first reported in February that the job cuts would involve reductions and eliminations of evening and weekend shifts.

The Walmart notice is required by the federal WARN Act to provide advance notice of mass layoffs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Walmart’s notice was signed by Middleton. Copies were sent to Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity, Davenport Mayor H.B. “Rob” Robinson and Polk County Commissioner George Lindsey.

According to Walmart in Florida’s web page, there are two fulfilment centers and nine distribution centers statewide. The retailer also has 387 retail outlets and 116,599 associates in Florida.

The WARN notice comes as Walmart has recently announced companywide layoffs and an initiative to install automation throughout its operating systems.
The WARN notice comes as Walmart has recently announced companywide layoffs and an initiative to install automation throughout its operating systems.

The facility at 5100 North Ridge Trail in Davenport is listed as WDC 5100 LLC in county property records and was built on several parcels assembled by Majestic Orlando Partners I LLC. The property was acquired in 2015 for $139 million.

Mianne Nelson, a Polk County spokesperson, said that according to a recent audit, Walmart complied with requirements that were tied to tax exemptions it received from the county.

“Per Walmart’s performance agreement, they were to invest at least $10 million in real property improvements and tangibles and create at least 300 jobs paying an average annual wage of 115% of the county’s average annual wage.”

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Walmart to lay off 400 workers are Davenport e-commerce warehouse