Wal-mart is trying their best to weed us out.
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
United States
December 5, 2006 8:18am CST
I've been as Wal-mart now for almost 7 years. Over the past year they've been trying their best to get all full-time associates to leave. They're tired of paying them what they make, paying for vacations, paying for the crappy healthcare, and anything else. They've set a salary cap, stopped all incentive programs, and lord I can't think of everything else. They want all part-timers so they don't have to pay health care (after one year they do but it's not as much) and vacations. Plus they'll save money on salaries. Well the latest in the retardedness is they're doing set shifts...First shift works all the same hours, and the same for second and third. This company use to work with peoples schedules for school and home life. Now they don't. I work 3rd. I go in 30 minutes later than most everybody else. Because most everybody works the same hours on 3rd anyway. I do that because I live 25 minutes away and my husband has to be at work a half an hour later than me. So we ride together (better for the enviroment too). It's not worth the extra gas money and for us to both drive. That's why we started doing this when we moved that far away. I refuse to do it. They said we had to call our district managers assistent and get her approval before we could work something different. That's stupid. Why should I call and ask for permission to work my availability. It was approved nearly 2 years ago!!! BY WAL-MART!!!! So they can give me all the points they want and when they fire me for it I'll sue them for wrongful termination. The only reason I haven't left yet is because my hubby works 3rd too as I stated and can't get on first shift yet. He doesn't want to work 2nd and I can't blame him there. I've been trying to get on at the hospital but I'm seriously thinking of leaving when I hit my 7 year mark (and work at McDonalds if I have too). To take all my "vested" money (don't ask too hard to explain) and my 3 week vacation. I hate that company so much that I will refuse to shop there unless absolutley nessasary when I quit. I rarely shopped there before I started working there because it was a hassle to go in and out. I've been saying this for a while now but I think we should go union!!!
4 people like this
6 responses
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
12 Jun 07
That's how I feel about K-Mart. They did this back in the 80's. The Vice President of the corporation actually caught on videotape saying how they wanted to get rid of all the older middle managment and get in younger part timers. They are all doing it all over. The companies want the part timers in so that they don't have to pay out the money to full timers. They don't have to give benefits and they don't have to set up retirement plans or the like.
It used to be companies treated their employees like a family and the employees had loyalty to the companies. You sure don't find that now do you?
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
13 Jun 07
Hell no and it's a shame. I truly believe if you take care of your associates - they'll take care of you. But now all their worried about is MONEY and getting more of it.
4 people like this
@srhelmer (7029)
• Beaver Dam, Wisconsin
5 Dec 06
Whenever a company focuses on offering the lowest price, you can be sure the employees won't be making much money. After all, the biggest expense for a business is employee wages.
And, you can't totally blame Walmart considering most consumers will complain if an item goes up 10 cents.
4 people like this
@bradhart (659)
• United States
20 Mar 08
This is exactly why back in the seventies many economists were telling labor unions to organize retail and food service, because they saw a future when these would be major industries people spent their entire professional lives working in. No one wanted to hear that they all wanted to hear we are bringing manufacturing back and that is the only thing that matters...
@MySpot (2600)
• United States
12 Jun 07
It's sad to see these company become so coorporate-minded = (
It used to be that the companies really valued home values and their employees... now you have to work for a Mom&Pop place to find that kind of work environment. You'll notice employees are much more loyal to these type of businesses too!
Personally, I like set shifts because we don't have them and it's harder to schedule appointments and events when you never know what you're going to get. They were scheduling me yo-yo shifts and it was a really hard adjustment to make. It was more difficult and I might add, inconvienent, to work around my husband's schedule. He's the Bread-Winner here, making more money and working more hours so his job is most important.
I'm not a huge fan of Walmart because we have to drive to the outskirts of town to get there. I've also heard a lot of bad publicity about them being sexist (offering higher paying wages to men than women) I'm all about supporting the smaller businesses anyway. Your my buddy and it would be no sweat off my back to completely boycott Walmart!!! I should probably wait until you are no longer employed there though ~ so you just let me know girl ~ I got your back!
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
13 Jun 07
LOL - you can go for it! It doesn't really affect me - I love the support!
I know what you mean about the Mom & Pop opps. And it sucks because big businesses like Walmart end up shutting a lot of them down.
I know what you mean about yo-yo schedules too. That has got to suck! And in our family my hubby's job is more important too. For the same reasons. :)
2 people like this
@sctoddc (58)
• United States
7 Mar 08
I worked for Wal Mart for almost 6 yrs., the first 4 in California...wasn't to bad. Then my wife and I moved back to South Carolina...oh boy, was like night and day. To me the upper management here seemed like he wanted to line his pockets...no roll backs, no clearance. And as bad as I hate to say this, and probably going to open a HUGE can of worms here, there was some race and gender issues, thats all I'm saying about it. I think the best descision I made was to get out of there. Now I work for a major pharmacutical (sp) comp. work half as many hours in a year, and make two times the money. Good luck associates, from a former, now much happier ex-associate.
2 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
7 Mar 08
I finally got out too! I was there over 7 but I escaped and I am so much happier! Even when I go there to shop and it's at night (worked 3rd) I start to get all nervous and lightly panicky LOL. Crazy I know.
We also had a LOT of gender issues! Esp after the first store manager I had left. There was some race issues but not too much that I personally seen.
Congrats on the great job!!!
@paidreader (5143)
• United States
12 Jun 07
What a shame that the new management is taking these steps to save money. My aunt has been working at Walmart for several years now and flexible hours has been a big help to her. I hope she's not having the same problems. At least I'll be prepared fot this when I see her at our family reunion next month, in case this is a company wide thing. :(
4 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
13 Jun 07
I hope things are much better for her. Hopefully it didn't effect her too much :)
3 people like this
@UnselfishShellfish (1306)
• United States
4 Dec 07
It's sad when a big business like Wal-Mart is trying to weed out the employees are making let's say $16 an hour plus benefits. They could "let go" of that employee and then hire 2 in their place and get twice the work for the same amount of money.
The bottm line of all employers is the dollar. If you can save some by firing someone who has been there a long time and hire 3 in their place for the same amout of money, most companies will take that route and to hell with the family of the long time employee.
3 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
5 Dec 07
It is a shame. If you treat your employees better than you'd have much more loyal employees.
