Walmart

[Jacob M.]

I've worked for Walmart for over two years. In that time I have given them my all. It's never enough. Fast is never fast enough and good is never good enough. The last few months have been particularly bad. I don't know what's going on within the company, but things are changing and for the worst. To be honest my coworkers and I didn't think it could get any worse. The place was barely tolerable as it was. Around 3 months ago they started a remodel of the store. That's when things really started to go to hell.

 

Instead of being a responsible company and closing the store they kept it open during the remodel. We dealt with extreme noise, dust, and the smell of chemicals. 5 nights a week we had to put up with that. Many days I would go home after work with a splitting headache. I was perpetually sick during this time as was many of my other co workers. I believe that’s the reason one of them quit.

 

If that wasn’t bad enough we also had to deal with management’s ever increasing abuse. Around the time the remodel started our store began hiring new people. I remember the first group. One girl lasted a week (and she had worked there before), another lasted for about a week and a half, and the guy lasted a few weeks. I heard he got written up because he refused to take off the device protecting his broken finger. A bit later he got a job at AT&T and he was gone. From that point I have lost track of how many have come and gone. People will literally work a few days and never come back.

 

The new people aren’t sticking and the ones that do tend to be what we call “half people”. They are only half as good as the quality people we have lost. That puts ever more pressure on the ones who actually perform. One particular co manager is constantly on our ass. No matter how ridiculous the task time may be they still expect it to be done in the time given (unless it’s so completely ridiculous it can’t be ignored). I don’t know how many times I have skipped a break in an attempt to get a ridiculous task done faster and keep them off my ass.

 

All the old people are leaving and the new ones aren’t sticking. A smart company (or at least one with decency) would back off. As bad as we are hurting for people they are still going after employees. I heard the older employees are getting written up because they aren’t fast enough. It’s only a matter of time before they get fired. I don’t even know how many of my coworkers have been fired. It’s getting to the point where no one is safe.

 

On the 11^th is when it caught up with me. I figured the night would be bad because of the manager, but I never expected it to be epically bad. I checked my tasking to discover I had to do coffee, jello, and pop and water. I have never been able to finish coffee on time so right away I knew I was in trouble. Jello is easy, but one more thing I had to deal with. They usually give 45 minutes for pop and water. In reality it usually takes 3-4 hours. All of that together and I knew I was screwed before I even began.

 

The support and co managers were on my ass all night. As 6:00am rolled around I knew I wasn’t going to get done and a reprimand was coming. At 7:00 I was told to meet them in their office. The support and co managers were there. The support said the majority of what was said. They said I have no fire and told me if I didn’t want to work there I needed to find a new job. If I didn’t improve coaching would commence. More was said, but that’s the gist of it. What pissed me off the most is that the support is a traitor. A year ago he was like me. Since becoming management he has become what we all hate. When I started at that store he was my go to person. Now I don’t trust him.

 

I was off the next night, but the fun continued. My friend Richard quit halfway through the night and one of the maintenance people were fired. I have no idea why she was fired. She was a solid employee who always did her job. It makes about as much sense as anything else that’s going on around there. The other manager called Richard and they had a meeting. Saturday night he was back, but has made it clear he is transferring.

 

I attempted to cut my hours to make the pain more tolerable. I currently have Wednesdays and Thursdays off. I attempted to add Fridays and Saturdays. The assistant manager looked at me like I was crazy and wouldn’t sign it. During my meeting the co said he would sign my availability, but I wouldn’t get any hours. I then decided to only work Saturdays and Sundays. Again the assistant looked at me crazy and said I couldn’t cut my hours until more people are hired. I’ll be closely monitoring my schedule to see if my new availability ever takes effect. If they won’t let me cut my hours what are the chances they’ll let my friend transfer?

 

The cherry on top for all of this is the commercials I constantly see from Walmart. One commercial had an employee talking about all the great things the company has done for him. Another shows all of these successful professionals shopping at the store. All of them tout Walmart as this benevolent company that does such wonderful things for everyone. Reality isn’t quite so rosy and I doubt anyone believes the propaganda anymore. The question I have is what will it take for people to stop shopping there? How bad do they have to get before people figure it out? Or do they even care?

[Mullethead]

My bank operates inside Walmart and I hear everything. There are people who have been there over 20 years and get treated like shit. They will fire you at will, no matter what they may face legally because let's face it, they have the money.

 

Serious, serious assholes and shitty to work for. I feel for you buddy....

[cdjunky41]

WalMart is Non-Union, which means they can treat workers like shit. Do they even hire Full Time?

[whiplash1972]

Another sad story from a Wal-Mart employee; I feel for ya man.

 

They're a shit company whose only goal is to drive all others out of business by under-cutting them (which includes bullying all the various vendors they buy from), and then they can treat not only their poor employees, but their customers like shit as well, since there will be no other options. Hopefully this country will wake up one day and stop supporting this company. If you have to shop cheap (which hell, I do!) support chains such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, Fred's, etc...

[longhairmike74]

walmart and amazon are the ones lobbying HUNDRED OF $MILLIONS for the 'marketplace fairness' internet sales tax,, congress already rushed through a 'yes' vote last month, but it has to pass the house.

 

this would require any remote or internet seller who salls more that 1Million a year out of state (gross sales, not profit) to have to collect and remit the collect sale tax rate for every state based on where the BUYER lives.

Walmart, already has a physical presence in every state, as well as an army of accountants and tax attorneys to deal with a state audit for a particular store, but this would mean that any one of the 9600 taxing jurisdictions in the country could initate a sales tax audit on an online store located 3000 miles away,, even if only for the reason of seeing if they meet the exepmtion requirement.

 

sure walmart and amazon can still make billions a year on a 1% profit margin,, but there are plenty of small family-owned online businesses who are over that 1M sales mark,, and the big-box stores would like nothing better than to see them crushed under overburdening regulation and compliance costs and close their doors,, lest they someday make a noticible dent in their 100s of billions in sales..

 

 

.the senate votes yes because they only see the dollar signs for their state... but forcing out of state retailers to become tax collectors for states in which they have no presence, and no voice or voting right, is just tazation without representation. it would create a virtual Unites States of Amazon,,, big government in bed with big business,,,

 

small business will shut down,, or at least downsize and layoff,, and instead of hiring employees,, they will first need a full time CPA for 75K a year just to handle taxes.

growth will cease.

[Jacob M.]

Last night I returned to work after a weeks vacation. I felt sick just walking into the place. After the meeting I checked my tasking and went to grab a shopping cart. A coworker stopped me. In the week I was gone they implemented some rule changes and apparently they came from the top. We can no longer use shopping carts for cardboard. I was also told we can no longer pull pallets down the aisle and drop them. You are required to down stack each pallet onto a rocket cart or six wheeler before you can stock it. Do you know how much more time that will take? Making the time was extremely difficult as it was. Now it's practically impossible. We all hope this is just a temporary thing. If not it won't take long before we all get written up.

 

While watching Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price on YouTube I was reminded of something that happened recently. Since I’ve been with the company they have given quarterly bonuses based on the stores performance. Most of the time our store does well and we are rewarded for that. Last quarter our bonus was around $330. Unfortunately for us we only received $130 of that. The other $200 is being saved to make the end of year bonus bigger. At least that’s what we were told. Does anybody believe that? By the end of the year most of us won’t be there anymore. It’s doubtful they will get the money to us if we are gone. The store saves thousands and the company saves millions.

[Mullethead]

Last night I returned to work after a weeks vacation. I felt sick just walking into the place. After the meeting I checked my tasking and went to grab a shopping cart. A coworker stopped me. In the week I was gone they implemented some rule changes and apparently they came from the top. We can no longer use shopping carts for cardboard. I was also told we can no longer pull pallets down the aisle and drop them. You are required to down stack each pallet onto a rocket cart or six wheeler before you can stock it. Do you know how much more time that will take? Making the time was extremely difficult as it was. Now it's practically impossible. We all hope this is just a temporary thing. If not it won't take long before we all get written up.

 

While watching Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price on YouTube I was reminded of something that happened recently. Since I’ve been with the company they have given quarterly bonuses based on the stores performance. Most of the time our store does well and we are rewarded for that. Last quarter our bonus was around $330. Unfortunately for us we only received $130 of that. The other $200 is being saved to make the end of year bonus bigger. At least that’s what we were told. Does anybody believe that? By the end of the year most of us won’t be there anymore. It’s doubtful they will get the money to us if we are gone. The store saves thousands and the company saves millions.

 

Get your resume together and start looking for something better. Leave on YOUR terms, not theirs. You are better than this and do not need to live life dreading going to work.

 

Don't leave just to leave, find the right fit. It's out there for you right now!

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Wow. I would never have thought it was that bad. I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart, because of what it stands for - I like to support local businesses - but now I have more reason. Like Jarred said, you really need to get out of there. I know it isn't easy. Finding work seems especially difficult for you guys in the States, but I hope you find a job where you feel good about returning to each day. A place where you are respected, and your work is appreciated.

[metalmaniac777]

WalMart is non-Union, which means they can treat workers like shit.

And yet every time a Union attempts to organize the employees, they get voted down. Doesn't make sense.

[Jeff]

All the Walmart stores treat employees like that? Dang, I might need to choose Target instead.

[longhairmike74]

WalMart is non-Union, which means they can treat workers like shit.

And yet every time a Union attempts to organize the employees, they get voted down. Doesn't make sense.

 

just like in Sadaam Hussein's final 'election' he received 100% approval votes.

[Jacob M.]

Over the last few weeks things have continued to evolve. It has become clear we will not be able to use shopping carts again. We have had to adapt to using dump bins for cardboard. This has had an adverse affect on everyone. It is more time consuming for most stockers and has placed even more responsibility onto the overworked and understaffed maintenance crew. There is so much cardboard one person could stay busy all night with just that. There is still some confusion on pallets. Some still take pallets down the aisle. Rather than risk leaving ourselves open to reprimand some of us down stack ours onto carts.

We recently learned the one good co manager is headed to a Tulsa store to help straighten the place out. One of the assistant managers has taken a leave of absence for some reason. She has been gone a couple weeks. That leaves us with the tyrannical co manager in charge one week (four days) and the assistant who would not sign my availability sheet in charge the next. So we basically have no management and no employees now.

Last Friday I went in at 9:00pm. I helped down stack pallets and take it to the floor. By going in early I should have left at 6:00am. We were so shorthanded they actually approved the overtime. I did not leave until 7:20. That night at the meeting we were ripped for not performing the impossible. It was also the first time I heard about a dreaded new program headed our way if we did not improve. The tyrannical co told us that if we did not improve we would be held accountable. If we were not able to perform in one area he would allow us to move to another. All we had to do was ask.

After the meeting the manager came to my aisle and asked if that is where I wanted to be (a stocker). I told him it was. We discussed my availability. When he learned I only want to work two days a week he was not pleased. He further elaborated on the changes coming. We are supposed to have 32 stockers. At the moment we only have 22. That night we were 120 hours short on manpower. Regardless of how many people are there corporate expects everything to be 100% every night. Corporate expects that out of him and he expects that out of us. If we cannot do it he will find someone who will. Strangely enough he admitted he wanted to puke with the amount of work he placed on himself for the night.

It goes without saying things did not go well the rest of the night. People were still stocking at 7:00am when I left. I ask Richard about it later. He did not leave until 8:30. He only had 13 hours in pets (insert sarcasm). At Sunday nights meeting we were ripped again for not performing the impossible and warned of the FIT program that was headed our way. I was still not sure exactly what was going on and what the FIT program was, but it did not sound good.

Another coworker explained what was coming down. Apparently we have gotten away with having only a skeleton crew for a long time. When the workload increased things were no longer getting done. That eventually caught the eye of corporate. They want to know why we are not getting things done. If corporate comes in they will be auditing everything we do. Every move we make they will be asking, “Why did you do that?” Considering they are expecting everyone to do the work of two or three people this FIT program seems almost inevitable.

The front end is now only allowed two cashiers at a time. Any extras will be stocking or doing something else until they are called to the front. Another change coming is a more fluid schedule. Unless you have seniority you will be moved around to the days they need you most. A coworker cannot work Thursdays and Fridays because of other responsibilities. He went to Personnel at the same time I did Monday morning because he is being forced to change his availability. Later he went to the store manager about the issue and was basically told tough luck.

I went in about my new availability sheet. I wanted to know when it was going to take effect. The Personnel lady went through my file and could not find it. My guess is the assistant manager “accidentally” lost it. So it appears I have to fill out another one. I was made aware that through some loophole I could keep my health insurance. All I needed to work was 24 hours a week. I am contemplating it now. I also learned that we have five new people starting the first week of August. With that in mind I am hoping management will be more willing to work with me. If they are not I will force the issue.

[whiplash1972]

Good article on the LIE that WalMart is a job creator; they DESTROY jobs in whatever area they go into. Article also mentions how it bullys vendors, and has actually run some into bankruptcy.

 

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/05/walmart%E2%80%99s_big_lie_no_it_doesnt_create_jobs/

[longhairmike74]

while walmart may create job NUMBERS,, each of those employees is stuck in an income level where they must rely on government housing and food assistance. so in essence it ends up costing those states money,,

and of course, any time walmart builds a store, they will heavyhandedly force some sort of tax deal with the mayor and city council that saves them millions (sometimes even letting them KEEP up to half of the sales tax collected). this type of bargaining power could never be leveraged by a small business.

[hardrock80srule]

While I understand what longharirmike74 means in general that doesn't apply to those who have both family members working. My wife works at Walmart going on 11 years and we have never accepted anything from the government. I would rather shoot myself as feel I owe our government anything(that's a different subject).

Having said that my wife is quitting in November. For the most part I can back up everything Jacob says(I hear all the complaints everyday from my wife). However Jacob if you think that job is bad just go up and work a register for a day. You will be begging to go back to your previous job.

My wife had enough of the abuse from customers and the management. The stories my wife tells are just F*** ridiculous.

Makes me just Hate people listening to her talk. Don't tell anyone but I really don't like people anyway:)

My advise to you Jacob is find a new job because it will never get better. It may temporarily seem like it is but they always find a way to F*** that up.

[Jacob M.]

 

Did you guys know Walmart has its own magazine? This is the latest issue. The propaganda contained within is enough to make you sick. I doubt all of the happy stores and associates even exist. I might have to transfer to one of the featured stores and see for myself.

[KarpetRydOFunk]

 

Did you guys know Walmart has its own magazine? This is the latest issue. The propaganda contained within is enough to make you sick. I doubt all of the happy stores and associates even exist. I might have to transfer to one of the featured stores and see for myself.

Is that Labatt Blue?

Please tell me this is at work, and that you're drinking on the job. ;}

[Fat Freddy]

 

Did you guys know Walmart has its own magazine? This is the latest issue. The propaganda contained within is enough to make you sick. I doubt all of the happy stores and associates even exist. I might have to transfer to one of the featured stores and see for myself.

 

Kmart had a similar "employee magazine" when I worked there years ago. Only the management team and their associated corporate Kool-Aid drinking, ass kissing wanna-bees took anything in it seriously.

 

The hourly clock-puncher types (like me), meanwhile, found the endless rah-rah propaganda contained within it utterly hilarious. Most of it was endless photos of random people with captions like "So-and-so has been promoted to District Manager for Region 12" or "So-and-so started out sweeping the floors now he's an assistant manager after only twenty seven years with The Company," etc., etc...and we'd all point out the funniest looking ones and go "Yeah, OK, so who did this guy have to blow to get that gig?" Haha.

[longhairmike74]

i used to love every month at fedex there would be a video (vhs tapes even in 2009) that the company would send out and all couriers would have to watch.

the same big-wigs would be caked in make-up in the videos. I used to call it fed-excrement when i worked there (2004-2009), and Kinko' was Stinko's

 

seriously though,, continuously put in applications at fedex, UPS, and the post office.. all of them start at way higher wages tham walmart would ever pay.

if my own business hadnt grown to consume 50-60 hours a week from me, i'd still be driving for fedex.

[whiplash1972]

 

seriously though,, continuously put in applications at fedex, UPS, and the post office.. all of them start at way higher wages tham walmart would ever pay.

 

 

Around here, the only way you're getting a job at the Post Office is if someone retires or dies, and then you still have to know someone on the inside to have a prayer of getting hired.

[Jacob M.]

That is Labatt Blue, but the picture was not taken at work. I took the picture in my apartment. I have done bad things at work in the past. It's probably best not to discuss. Sometimes I drink after work to help deal with the stress. One of my coworkers is up to a 12 pack a day. Not sure how someone can drink that much and still be functional.

 

 

Fat Freddy summed up the mag pretty well. Tons of stories about people climbing the ladder to nowhere. Anyone catch the headline in the pic? There is no such thing as Against The Current in Wal-Mart. If you go against the current you get fired. Oh, the irony. Wal-Mart has something I bet Kmart doesn't have, it's own super hero. Here's a quote from Walmart World regarding the super hero.

 

Back in 1986, an accidental run-in with a barrel of radioactive waste turned Jane Associate into Shirley Shrinkage, a superhero who symbolizes the fight against careless losses. (Jane kept her true identity a secret by applying a fake beauty mask when she donned her superhero costume.) One of her famous lines: "Let's join in and give shrinkage a knuckle sandwich!

Shirley was the idea of the loss prevention team and was brought to life in the pages of Walmart World by associate Kerry Callen, a staff artist in the advertising department. Shirley brought some fun to a serious concern, and her efforts quickly paid off: 1986 ended as the company's lowest-shrinkage year yet. Knuckle sandwich delivered!

 

You got that? Wal-Marts super hero is named Shirley Shrinkage.

[Fat Freddy]

One of my coworkers is up to a 12 pack a day. Not sure how someone can drink that much and still be functional.

 

 

You'd be surprised. When I worked at Kmart I was up to two 40-ouncers of malt liquor a night....I always say my KMart experience gave me 20 extra pounds, a drinking problem, and a thousand percent increase in my hatred for humankind.

 

...and that "Shirley Shrinkage" superheroine is fucking hilarious. Kmart could never top that.

[Evil Rick]

 

One of my coworkers is up to a 12 pack a day. Not sure how someone can drink that much and still be functional.

 

 

You'd be surprised. When I worked at Kmart I was up to two 40-ouncers of malt liquor a night....I always say my KMart experience gave me 20 extra pounds, a drinking problem, and a thousand percent increase in my hatred for humankind.

 

...and that "Shirley Shrinkage" superheroine is fucking hilarious. Kmart could never top that.

 

A buddy of mine drinks at least a case on his days off...and he drives over the road semi.

[Doksdad]

 

 

One of my coworkers is up to a 12 pack a day. Not sure how someone can drink that much and still be functional.

 

 

You'd be surprised. When I worked at Kmart I was up to two 40-ouncers of malt liquor a night....I always say my KMart experience gave me 20 extra pounds, a drinking problem, and a thousand percent increase in my hatred for humankind.

 

...and that "Shirley Shrinkage" superheroine is fucking hilarious. Kmart could never top that.

 

A buddy of mine drinks at least a case on his days off...and he drives over the road semi.

 

Who would that be Evil???

[whiplash1972]

Here's what "swimming against the current" gets ya:

 

http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2013/08/09/bay-area-walmart-employees-say-they-were-fired-retaliation-striking

 

WalMart could care less about any penalties or lawsuits they could case face over wrongful termination; they'd rather pay lawyers and fines than pay their employees.