Laid-Off WalMart Workers Shocked

Related: Wal-Mart cutting 700-800 jobs at its home offices
In a surprise move, Wal-Mart stores began laying off hundreds of workers at its home office Tuesday. Wal-Mart says they're laying off around 700 to 800 employees in merchandising, marketing, real estate and Sam's Club corporate functions, just to name a few. That's about 5 percent of the workforce at the home office in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Those who were laid off say they were given no warning, and the common reaction among the employees is shock.

"Completely out of the blue... Out of the blue."

"they just said my area was eliminated."

Susan Archibald is just one of the hundreds of employees who were given the pink slip Tuesday morning.

"They called us into a meeting and said that they needed to make some cutbacks..."

She worked in the marketing department and had been with Wal-Mart for a total of 13 years.

"I'm just kind of still in shock right now, not bitter or upset with the company. It is what it is, but I don't know if it's really hit me yet."

Rumors of the layoffs went on for hours this morning with no official comment from Wal-Mart.

"We want to know if there's been layoffs this morning. you need to speak with Dave Toran media relations. He's aware of your call and I've already told him we're not doing any on-cameras."

But in a memo released to all home office associates Tuesday afternoon, president and CEO Mike Duke stated the organizational changes are in an effort to "increase operational efficiencies, supports strategic growth plans and help reduce overall costs."

It's a cost saving measure that leaves former employees like Archibald looking for new jobs.

"Just trying to cope with it and stay as positive as I can because getting upset isn't going to hep anything right now."

Archibald says a severance package has been prepared for those laid off like here, but the details haven't been disclosed yet.

Before today, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club employed 14,000 people at their Bentonville, Arkansas headquarters.

Wal-Mart says the reductions at the home office will allow for additional management positions being created elsewhere.