Friday Speak Out Round Up

It’s time for the latest addition of Wal-Mart Watch’s speak out round up. As workers continue to write to us about their experiences with Wal-Mart, we’ll make sure to highlight some of the best submissions of the week. The following comments include a retail industry veteran telling it like it is, the experiences of a disabled employee, the departure from Sam Walton era values, and a dream job gone wrong.

A former employee from New York writes to us anonymously to say that Wal-Mart is one of the worst jobs out there:

“I’m 62 years old with 18 years of produce experience and over 30 years experience in retail. I wanted a part-time job to help pay for the extras my wife and I love. I took a job at hell-mart. In all my years of working in retail, I have never witnessed a company as heartless as Wal-Mart.

The pay is a joke; I was told my starting pay is based on my experience (LOL). I make $8.30 an hour. I was told I would be part-time...24 hours a week. They have no one in the produce department who knows what they are doing so they work me two weeks at 40 hours and then one week of 32 hours. This way they don’t have to make me full time and won’t have to pay for benefits.

When I complain about the number of hours I’m working, they tell me how lucky I am to be working at Wal-Mart. The hours are a joke. Every week is different. You never get the same hours from week to week. It’s impossible to plan anything.

God help you if you get sick. You better come in and work no mater how you feel. If you take a sick day five times in any six-month period, they coach you. This is when they take you behind closed doors and read you the riot act. If you are sick one more day after that, you are fired - for any reason they want. I have seen some very sick people come into work - so sick, they could hardly stand up. Wal-Mart doesn’t care. If they ask to go home, they are told it will count against them if they do. I was told even if your doctor puts you off from work you still have a count against you. There is absolutely no excuse for being sick.

There is a God and I just pray one day that the Walton family pays for the way they treat the people who make them rich. I have only been there for 7 months and I could tell you things you wouldn’t believe, it is unreal the way they treat the employees.”

A former worker from Idaho write to us anonymous about management turnover, disability accommodation, and why he will never set foot in a Wal-Mart again:

“I have a physical disability which limits the time I can be on my feet.  When I was hired at Wal-Mart—through a disability job fair—I asked for shorter shifts.  My assistant manager was a good guy and made that happen.  I was in softlines so I was on my feet quite a bit, but I managed. Then they started putting new AMs over us every few months.  (I was told our original manager stepped down because he couldn’t handle the stress.  I believe it.)

Within a year and a half, we were on our fourth one. This one seemed nice but was actually awful.  The previous manager had told me that I couldn’t have my shorter shifts anymore and if I needed any accommodation, I would have to bring in documentation. So being unable to work anything beyond 28 hours at that job, I brought in a letter from my doctor that said as much. This seemed perfectly reasonable to me.

Within three days turning in that letter, I was coached for not being productive enough.  During my time there, we had lost several employees who were never replaced and there were a few Saturday evenings where it was just me and the fitting room attendant, or me on the fitting room and one other person on the floor.  I worked as hard as I could but there is no way I can do three people’s jobs; it is simply impossible. I told her that but she said I wasn’t doing enough.

Due to that being the last straw and other personal circumstances, I ended up leaving the next week.  I know they wanted me gone, and they got what they wanted.  I didn’t have the emotional energy to fight them, and I think they knew it.

I now refuse to as much as set foot in a Wal-Mart.  I wish more people felt the same way.  I now have a much better job where I am treated with respect and paid better to boot.  I would encourage any Wal-Mart employees to do everything they can to find something better.”

Our next story comes from a former employee who wishes Wal-Mart would return to its roots:

“Since I was at Wal-Mart for almost 14 years, I have so much to say about them I don’t even know where to start. I worked very hard at my store and sadly, I never felt accepted. The old Wal-Mart has changed.  If Sam Walton was alive, he would be disappointed. He made his workers feel they were truly part of the Wal-Mart family.  Now if you are not needed they get rid of you, this is what happened to me, but that is story for another time.”

A Canadian worker tells us how she thought working at Wal-Mart would be a good career move. She was wrong:

“I am an educated person with working experience in the law field. Once my contract was over in that field, I thought a change would be nice and I figured that I could work my way up to a fabulous career with the biggest and most impressive company in the world. BOY I WAS SO WRONG!!! After six gruesome years working for the biggest bully in the universe, I finally had my fill. My self esteem was so low. How many people do you know has had to go on sick leave because of a burnout? I was overworked. Wal-Mart asks the impossible. I had three departments to myself. No one to help me. When my evaluation came around, I considered myself lucky to get a full 10!

Over a six year period, I got $2 more in pay. Not only were we belittled by the customers, it also had to come from our supervisors as well. I once complained about the way I was treated and I was told not to, because they were the ones putting food on my table. And when I would try the open door method, everything would get worse. In 2007, I switched from department manager to loss prevention agent and I realized quick enough that my well being and safety weren’t worth the money nor the time. I was harassed so bad by the management that I got physically ill. I spoke to my immediate supervisor and the regional manager and they showed no concern.  I am home now recuperating from my emotional experience that will take a very long time, if I ever do. It’s a very abusive place to work and shouldn’t be happening. I complained about the pay, but I don’t think any amount of money is worth being treated and spoken to like we’re less than nothing.”

Posted by Brendan Gaffney on Friday, May 08, 2009

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