PLAINFIELD, Ind. — When Walmart announced it would not reopen its Plainfield fulfillment center that was destroyed by a fire in March, it said more than 900 of the nearly 2,100 workers had already found new roles within the company.
Darrell Grimes' daughter is among them.
"They gave her another job at a different location. She's in Brownsburg. They've taken care of them well," Grimes said.
That includes continuing to pay employees at their base rate and benefits.
In late March, Walmart also held a job fair to help workers.
But more than 1,100 still have not accepted other jobs within the company. That means any employees who don't find a new role with Walmart within the paid search period will be "separated from the company."
For hourly workers, the paid search period will end on July 1, 2022. For salaried employees, the period ends on July 15, 2022.
In a statement Tuesday, Plainfield Town Manager Andrew Klinger said Walmart's notice to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development "allows employees time to transition between jobs prior to their separation of employment."
He added, "We are aware that Walmart continues to assist employees and has offered many relocation options, including other Walmart operations in Plainfield."
For people who don't accept relocation options, Klinger said he encourages them to consider other distribution operations in Plainfield.
13News searched for job openings for warehouse distribution online and found nearly 600 listed within 25 miles.
"Job seekers looking for job and career assistance are encouraged to reach out to a WorkOne Office (the local office is at 1610 Reeves Road in the MADE@Plainfield facility) for job and career assistance," Klinger said.
