ASHEBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — It’s been almost a week now since more than 800 employees were left out of a job when Klaussner Home Furniture shut down last week.
For many former employees, it’s been a difficult transition having to start job hunting again.
They’re concerned and overwhelmed about being unemployed because many have been working for the company for many years.
Starting the process of finding a job all over again has been intimidating for some people. It takes a lot of writing, changes and typing to build a life-long resume.
It’s what former Klaussner employees are doing here in this computer lab inside Randolph Community College.
“I am 57. I’m starting over,” said former employee Sherry Graves.
Graves used to work for Klaussner for 28 years and the transition has been overwhelming for her.
“I need help with a resume. I have never had to write one before because I have been somewhere working for a long time, so I had no clue how to write one,” said Graves.
Employees were blindsided by Klaussner closing with no notice. One day they went to work, the next they were out of a job.
“I feel kind of lost and just trying to just start all over. And I’ve been there so long, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Graves.
A former Klaussner employee filed a lawsuit last week requesting class-action status.
The suit claims the company didn’t give workers at least 60 days’ notice it was closing, as required by the WARN act.
Asheboro’s NCWorks Center, meanwhile, has seen 150 former employees needing help.
“They’re just kind of in an unknown territory,” said Will Early, business services lead for the Piedmont Triad Regional Council. “They had a line out the door when they opened, and they had been, you know, going, going, going since 8:30 that morning.”
The team expanded their services at Randolph community college where people have the opportunity to build a resume, sign up for college classes or get ready for a new job opportunity.
“I have a lot of support from the community. I hope a lot of my fellow employees will take advantage of this,” said Graves.
Randolph Community College will be hosting a hiring event on their campus Tuesday at 10 a.m. where around 40 employers will be here doing interviews and even hiring on the spot.
Randolph County will continue to provide its support services until the end of the month of August.
