DALLAS, Texas — Walmart is sending out new checks to a certain number of employees who worked at its Redbird store after they may not have received or only received half of what they were owed after the store closed.
Last month, the retailer said it planned to close the Walmart at 3155 W. Wheatland Road as part of a group of stores it was shutting down across the country.
The store was closed officially on April 26, and a spokesperson for Walmart said the reason why was mainly due to the store underperforming financially.
About 400 employees were working at the store when it closed.
One of those employees was Marquaivus Weekly. The 19-year-old recently graduated from high school and stocked shelves at the store for roughly four months.
Weekly, who lives with his sister and five other relatives in a small apartment, is the man of his household at a young age.
His paycheck and his sister's paycheck, along with their mother's social security check, pay for rent, food, utilities and insurance needs.
According to a letter sent to Weekly by Walmart about the closing, he and other active associates are still on the payroll with benefits until June 7th.
However, last week Weekly said that he only received about half of his paycheck. Normally he receives a little over $800.
Weekly called the retailer's corporate office and was told there was a mixup with some employees checks.
"Someone informed me that there was some sort of complication distributing the money," Weekly said. "It makes me kind of sad because I just want to provide for my family."
Weekly's sister, Jamara Ward, said that they were planning on using the money for food and their electricity bill.
"It's been a struggle, I don't want to open my refrigerator because it's hollow," Ward said. "In this community, Walmart hasn't just left a hole in our hearts but our wallets."
Walmart spokesperson Anne Hatfield told WFAA that "there was an internal accounting error and we apologize. We are cutting new checks immediately to remedy the situation.”
Hatfield didn't say how many employees were impacted in all but said the checks would be distributed by the end of the week.
Weekly said he'll be counting on that check while he finds a new way to provide.
"Walmart needs to make good not tomorrow, but immediately," Ward said.