Another reason to hate Wal-Mart

[Blue_In_AK]

My husband's cousin and his girlfriend, who has worked at Wal-Mart for 22 years, are visiting us. She is a department manager. She just told us that whenever Wal-Mart has to pay a settlement for an accident or something, they take the money out of the managers' bonuses. What??

She says when she started, they were a good company to work for, family-oriented. Now, for example, even though she gets a couple weeks vacation a year, she's not allowed to take more than a week at a time, so when they came up to Alaska to visit us, they could only stay a week. Absolutely ridiculous. After 22 effing years!!

She has more horror stories, but that's just a taste. She is very close to retiring, and I am very happy for her. She's certainly done her time.

[Sanity Claws]

1. This provides an incentive for managers not to report workers' on the job injuries

I have no doubt in my mind that is the reason why WalMart does that. It pits managers against workers and injured workers are given the shaft.
My recollection is that Oregon state took away WalMart's self-insured status under the Workers Compensation program sometimes in the 1990s precisely because WalMart was not paying injured workers.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Exactly.

She told me about a new employee who had a devastating injury on the loading dock, entirely preventable if safety precautions had been in place, split his head wide open, and they took several thousand from all the managers in her state. As if the Waltons don't have enough money.

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. No ...

It provides Managers a monetary incentive to properly train their staff and rigorously enforcement/maintain Safe Workplace policies!

Well ... that's gonna be the party line.

[TheVisitor]

17. Yes

Just like their transportation managers and fleet managers get bonuses for the CDL truck drivers delivering loads early/on-time, regardless of whether or not they've had enough sleep - because the sooner the merchandise gets there the quicker it goes on the shelf for sale... i.e. Tracey Morgan incident...


Just like their distribution centers [warehouses] focus on speed and efficiency, yet not as much on safety. I recall going up several times some 20-50 feet above the warehouse floor to unstick packages from a conveyer belt while it was still running, because turning it off wasn't an option (and that's normal practice for everyone) because if the belt stopped it messed up everyone's numbers and their quota they had to meet... The belts were quite unrelenting and the safety mechanisms for them were very questionable... I got tons of awards for speed, they funneled money at me for doing a great job on quota % - but never once did I witness anyone receiving a safety award... Just one of the many reasons I despise Wal-Mart... not to mention the utterly racist BS they put my brother through who still works there...

[uponit7771]

18. +1

[LittleGirl]

3. I won't step foot in one

and encourage everyone I know to do the same. Apparently, it's working considering their numbers lately.

That's b.s. about the bonuses.

[tabbycat31]

8. I normally do not shop there

The only time I do is when there's no other choice

[NoMoreRepugs]

4. any link to verify?

not casting doubt on the validity of the statement BUT would really like to see it verified from a firsthand source of note

[Blue_In_AK]

5. As I said, this is the word of a 22-year employee.

I suppose I could find links, but we're getting ready to head out on another road trip, since the visit is short. I don't know why she'd have a reason to lie.

[Kalidurga]

27. You are joking right?

It's really hard to verify a personal story.

[LanternWaste]

28. How precisely does one "link" to a family discussion?

How precisely does one "link" to a family discussion?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Don't be surprised if she gets fired the last year before retirement....

I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing them trying to prosecute retiring employees for theft so they can void any promised benefits.

[onethatcares]

11. they don't fire people

they make unrealistic demands, like come in at 6 a.m. work til 8 a.m, go home but be scheduled for another shift at 8 p.m til 11 p.m.

then schedule the days they work at an mishmash. They'll make it hard to have a life and a job hoping the upcoming retiree will quit and they will make them wish they did.

I watched this with another woman at one walmart store here in florida, she thought she cracked the glass ceiling, hahahahahaha, she learned different. I saw the same thing play out at homedepot.

those two corps are monsters.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. I've heard of the split shift tactic before. It should be outlawed.

[tabbycat31]

7. after she retires

She really should go to the media with this.

[SheilaT]

9. She should go to the media long before she retires.

She also ought to consider looking for another job. Seriously. Unless there is literally no other place of employment withing fifty or so miles of where she lives, she should start looking.

[IVoteDFL]

10. I've heard this before too from other Walmart employees

I used to live in a relatively small town where Wal-mart was probably one of the biggest employers, I knew a lot of people who worked there. Including my mom who worked in the Deli department, she was forced to clean the frying equipment before it cooled completely and they made her reach into a tank with live lobsters if one of them got the binding off of it's claws. Seriously, she used to come home with all kinds of minor injuries just about every day. I imagine she probably would have spoke up or quit if we hadn't needed the money so badly, of course she was eventually fired for bringing home food that was supposed to be "thrown out" anyway (sold to for pet food)

Not to mention all the crap I bought from them during that time. A keyboard that didn't work, a webcam that didn't work, a TV show dvd set with disc 5 of 6 completely missing, returned that and got one with disc 3 missing. The stuff there might be cheaper, but it is all shoddy crap. I'm still broke as a joke, but I wont step foot in a Walmart. My friends go there, and it always irks me, but y'know, can't beat cheap stuff.

[blkmusclmachine]

13. Turning the screw a little tighter.

[VA_Jill]

14. Notice that

she started working for them when Sam Walton still ran things. Now his greedy evil kids do. Sam is probably on spin cycle.

[Art_from_Ark]

21. His greedy kids don't really run Walmart

There are no Waltons among the 43 company executives, and only two of the 14 members of the Board of Directors are Waltons.

[VA_Jill]

25. Some of their spouses do

Several of the kids are girls, which is why the names are different. In any case, they are ALL greedy.

[Art_from_Ark]

31. Greedy, or tightwads?

Sam himself was pretty much of a tightwad. I worked at a Wal-Mart warehouse in Bentonville off and on while he was still running things, and even then it was obvious he was pinching pennies. There was a sign in the break room that said something to the effect of "You may think we're only paying you $780 a month, but when you add in Social Security and other deductions, we're actually paying you $930 a month". An article in the local newspaper noted that Sam drove around Bentonville in his old pick-up truck and had his hair cut at the $5 barber shop. That probably stemmed from growing up in Oklahoma and Missouri during the depression. And no doubt that behavior had an effect on his kids.

But his kids have been pretty generous to Northwest Arkansas, donating nearly a half-billion dollars to the Crystal Bridges art museum in Bentonville, at least $300 million to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and millions more to various other local projects, like the Walton Arts Center, also in Fayetteville.

[VA_Jill]

33. Look at

the records of their charity contributions and you'll get a different viewpoint. They could be a whole lot MORE generous and never miss it. SLIME.

My dad knew Sam Walton. They went to high school together. I met the man once when he was still touring his stores and he was very pleasant. I understand why he was the way he was because my dad was too. You have to understand the mindset of kid who grew up in the Depression. It was an awful time. But we kids have to get past it.

[Art_from_Ark]

34. For that matter, every billionaire could be more generous with their money

They all have enough to last several lifetimes.

[VA_Jill]

35. Walton kids

are worse than most. Look, compare, and contrast. That's all I'm saying.

[Enthusiast]

16. There is no good reason to like Walmart.

[Blue_In_AK]

19. Just a little more on this...

She said in the old days they used to get $200 or $300 bonuses. This past year her yearly bonus was $9. NINE DOLLARS! Could they be any more insulting?

[MattBaggins]

20. How about a scratch off lottery ticket

Actually got that from my place of employement

[Skittles]

22. they get bonuses?

[Blue_In_AK]

23. The department managers apparently do...

...or did. Nine bucks isn't much of a bonus after giving the company 22 years of your life.

[uppityperson]

24. A friend worked for them whe. they first started and was quite pleased at fhe job and benefits

It is too bad they are now such a crap company toward their employees, their workere.

[liberal N proud]

26. That week of vacation is 7 days

From Saturday through Friday, you don't get the weekends on both ends.

[Blue_In_AK]

29. That's right.

They got here Monday afternoon and have to leave today.

[Feral Child]

30. There's no reason *NOT* to hate Walmart.

Every goddam thing about that organization is an outrage.

(Sorry for your friend's problems, I don't mean to minimize them. I just hate Walmart from my very core.)