Ex-employees of recently shuttered Christmas Tree Shops angry upon not getting last paycheck

Those who just lost their jobs at the big retailer say they have not informed about what is going on.

News 12 Staff

Aug 18, 2023, 2:27 AM

Updated 261 days ago

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Former employees of recently closed Christmas Tree Shops across the country are angry after not receiving their final paychecks that they were supposed to on Thursday.
They said they have not informed about what is going on.
Some even worked extra hours to ensure it would be enough to survive on until unemployment money arrives.
For former employee Joe Rosado, it is strange to see the Hartsdale Christmas Tree Shop empty.
"I was here 16 years," said Rosado, who started working at that location six months after it opened. He said all his former coworkers were surprised.
"They kind of sprung it on us," he said.
The company that has been around since 1970 closed its 82 stores across 20 states after filing for bankruptcy in May.
"Communication has been really bad," Rosado said that people panicked on Thursday when they did not receive the final checks that they expected nor any explanation.
A spokesperson for liquidation company Hilco said paychecks have been delayed a few days due to some payroll inconsistencies and it did not cause those delays.
Hilco added in a statement, "Having done thousands of store closings over 40 years, we always seek to protect the store-level retail employees..."
Rosado said Thursday night that he finally received an email saying that he will be paid Monday but there will be more delays for store managers.
There are still questions about whether retention bonuses employees say they were promised will be paid out.


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