From a reader: “A strategy to help Wal-Mart employees.”

Just one problem…

Walmart policy dictates that employees are not allowed to accept gifts from customers or vendors… the policy also states that any gift given becomes property of Walmart....

She probably had to hand it over!!!

Well, if the customer is a regular there, and knows of particularly good service from a particular cashier or clerk, give them the tip BEFORE you start shopping, that way you are not technically not a customer-yet-there has been no transaction prior to the “tip."Wonder if unionization would allow” tips “?

If the cashier, or any other associate, does not report
the tip to management, then they won’t turn the tip
over to management.

Associates are the ones on the sales floor doing most
of the work. Associates deserve to be tipped.

Most managers now-a-days, either on the sales floor
or in their back room offices, delegate duties to
associates, while the managers themselves stand, or
sit, around doing nothing. I have even heard of
managers ignoring customers who have asked them
for help. Managers do not deserve tips.

mike is correct. Accepting a gratuity is grounds for termination as it is a violation of the statement of ethics. Failure to report to management that you received it and subsequently turning it over to the company would almost certainly be mean bye-bye. Is making your point worth their jobs?

I will agree that a boycott only hurts workers, but if you want to send a message to Wal-Mart there must be a better way than getting people fired.

if you want to send a message to Wal-Mart there must be a better way than getting people fired.~~~~~~Someone~~~~NOTE:If WalMart wants to send a message to its OWN employees about unionization,surely there must be a better way than closing the WalMart store,thereby de facto firing their OWN employees. What’s the statement of WalMart ethics on THAT policy and practice?

Maybe you’ll get to find out.

Rob,

“If the cashier, or any other associate, does not report the tip to management”

As all employees and customers interactions are caught on surveilance tape, any money being taken from a customer and pocketed, might appear to be theft, therefore, to report it could help keep the employee from getting ‘fired’ for theft!!

The whole premise is absurd to begin with. Shame management into action? Bwha-ha-ha-ha!

On the other hand, if Wal-Mart were to allow tipping they could cut wages to minimum or below (as is the case with waitresses).

Live Better In Cheap Underwear

P.S.

Doesn’t Wal-Mart allow tipping in Mexico?

Wal-mart is the most sued company in the world. ~ Orrin Woodward

TODAY IS VETERAN’S DAY! Let us take time to remember and honor those who have come and gone-and those in the armed forces who continue to “keep on keepin on” ,in service to this country. I,for one am especially grateful that we have a new Commander-in Chief. I suspect a lot of vets do, too. God bless us all.

Ken V,

“On the other hand, if Wal-Mart were to allow tipping they could cut wages to minimum or below (as is the case with waitresses).”

You mean, the way YOU did?  Wouldn’t tipping, allow Wal-Mart employees to make $25.00/hr, like your waitresses did?  But, then of course, they could lose all of their benefits!!

Ken’s advice: “Don’t do as I do, do as I say”!!

WalMart itself doesn’t mind tipping from the government in the way of subsidies. Another Ayn Rand charity WalMart embraces in the free market capitalism of the Bentonville slobs. So the principle of the matter is really another fraud from WalMart against their workers receiving tips.

The real embarrassment against WalMart is Costco. Costco pays a living wage that averages $17+/hr with 92% paid health care coverage. Costco has a union model that seeks to benefit people first, not money.

Under George W. Bush, 6,256 American veterans committed suicide in one year (2006). That is far more than all U.S. military deaths in 5+ years in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

Bushco and the WalMart culture, killing America for the love of money.

Of course there’s no way that you would know, RDS, but waitresses compensation is unlike regular hourly wage earners.

Beside attacking me personally, I really don’t see what point you are trying to make.

make $25.00/hr… (but) ...lose all of their benefits!!

I’d bet a substantial number of Wal-Mart associates would take you up on that.

Live Better In Cheap Underwear

There is a nw Wal Mart in my town - I work there.....
Yes the management is very poor and incaring even one who seems to enjoy making people feel stupid and worthless. We have been all the way to our Regional Management - NO RESOLVE! How do they expect Exellence in Customer Service if all of thier employees hate being there? I dread walking in there - I need a paycheck so I deal with it - there is a silver lining in my future thank goodness! I just have to jump over the little clouds to reach it! Right now Wal Mart is just a little cloud for me! So keep in mind when you see us employees we do care about you and what you need as a customer but also know on a daily basis we work hours we aren’t supposed to, are ignored by management, expected to do 12 hours of work in an 8 hour day and if not get written up, be cautious of leaving to take care of a sick child because thats an absence, and more often than it should take care of customers who treat us as second class citizens just as management does. I promise however I will always treat you with respect and help you the best I can - no matter what issues I have had because it is you the customer that creates my job!

Ken V,

“Of course there’s no way that you would know, RDS, but waitresses compensation is unlike regular hourly wage earners.”

I know, they are NOT subject to the normal ‘minimum wage’ and have a special ‘lower’ minimum wage!!

“I really don’t see what point you are trying to make.”

My point was, it seems that the anti group will grasp at anything to slam Wal-Mart, even to the point, that not only should they get paid great wages, and great benefits, but, they should get tips as well!!  There are reasons that they get paid what they do and just crying about how much money the Waltons have, or how much Costco pays, or whether or not they should be allowed to get tips, won’t justify telling a company that they don’t pay enough just to satisfy all the Anti people’s bias against them!! 

You seem to think that it was fine, for YOU to pay LESS than the normal ‘minimum wage’ (and let your employees scrounge for tips) and give NO benefits, but heaven forbid, if some other business pays LESS than you think they should!!  You once said you were financially secure, now we can see why, after you made a bundle paying ‘lower than low’ wages and making your customers foot most of the bill for your employees earnings through their tips!!

Shouldn’t wages and benefits, be between the employees and their employer, not some ‘outside’ busybodies?

New Wal Mart,

I just love hearing posts from crybaby employees!!  Here are some of your complaints:

“also know on a daily basis we work hours we aren’t supposed to”

Why would you work, hours you are not supposed to?  If the company pays you, they would only pay you for hours THEY scheduled and wanted you to work!!  You are ‘supposed’ to work when they want you to!!

“expected to do 12 hours of work in an 8 hour day and if not get written up”

As it is impossible to do 12 hours worth of work in 8 hours, what you said makes NO sense!!  If you DO X amount of work in 8 hours, then it was 8 hours worth of work, not 12!!

“leaving to take care of a sick child because thats an absence”

Gee, imagine that, not being at work is counted as an absence, isn’t that ‘strange’?  Here I thought that not being at work was being present!!

That ‘terrible’ Wal-Mart, expects you to come to work when needed, stay at work the whole shift, and do your job while there, how ‘cruel’, I don’t know how you can stand it!!  Oh wait, they did that EVERYWHERE I ever worked too, poor me!!

You seem to think that it was fine...

That’s not the question, is it? The waitresses that worked for me thought it was fine, just like so many Wal-Mart employees think it’s not fine.

...it is you the customer that creates my job!

Well said, New Wal Mart in My Town in New Mexico.

“just like so many Wal-Mart employees think it’s not fine. “

What do you base that on, the .01% of employees that come on to sites like this and complain about their jobs?  I would venture to say the majority of employees are fine with their situation or they would work some where else.  I’m sure most would like to get more money, but that is true of the majority of Americans, whether they are Walmart workers or not.

What do you base that on...(?)

Turnover rate, to start with. The last time Wal-Mart released their company-wide turnover rate it was in the high 40%. Before the beginning of the Bush Recession, Wal-Mart’s turnover rate peaked above 70% with some stores experiencing a 300% turnover.

Granted, now that we’re deep in a recession, jobs are hard to come by and Wal-Mart’s disposable workforce pool is greatly increased. Merely another indication of my claim:

What’s good for Wal-Mart is BAD for America!

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/11/12/wal-mart-union.html

Labour board rules against Wal-Mart
Attempts to unionize Sask. stores shouldn’t be deterred by Quebec closure: UFCW
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 | 11:09 AM ET Comments11Recommended14CBC News
The store in North Battleford is among those the United Food and Commercial Workers would like to see unionized. (CBC)A union is claiming victory against Wal-Mart after a labour board decided it could not rule out the possibility that the closure of a unionized store in Quebec might scare workers in Saskatchewan.

The United Food and Commercial Workers is trying to unionize the retail chain’s stores in Weyburn, Moose Jaw and North Battleford.

It alleges Wal-Mart Canada’s closure of a unionized store in Jonquiere, Que., in 2005 was an unfair labour practice intended, in part, to intimidate workers who want to organize in Saskatchewan.

The company sought to have the union’s unfair labour practice application dismissed at a preliminary stage, saying the Saskatchewan agency was acting outside its jurisdiction.

Wal-Mart also argued it wasn’t its fault if newspapers ran editorials about the Jonquiere closure.

However, in an Oct. 24 decision, the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board disagreed with those arguments, dismissing Wal-Mart’s preliminary application.

“The fact that the actions of Wal-Mart upon which the allegations are based were committed outside the geographic confines of Saskatchewan does not mean that they cannot constitute violation of the restriction on intimidation of its employees in this province,” the ruling said.

That means the union’s case against Wal-Mart can proceed.

Wal-Mart is the world’s largest private employer, with more than 6,400 locations, but unionized stores are the vast exception in North America.

Freedom of choice urged
Labour groups allege that’s because Wal-Mart is anti-union.

However, Wal-Mart spokesman Andrew Pelletier said the company respects the right to unionize and the right to freedom of association.

On the other hand, it’s important for Wal-Mart workers in Saskatchewan to have freedom of choice, he said.

“I know that in the North Battleford and the Weyburn situations, there have been numerous complaints that were before the labour board in the past of associates claiming that they were harassed by the union to sign union cards,” Pelletier said.

“So that disturbs us.”

The store in Quebec was closed almost four years ago because it was unprofitable, Pelletier said

‘They can’t deal with the competition?’
But Paul Meinema, president of UFCW Local 1400, which represents Saskatchewan workers, doesn’t buy that explanation.

“Are they suggesting that they aren’t as good a retailer as other unionized retailers are?” he asked. “They can’t deal with the competition? That the only way that they can be profitable is on the backs of their workers or to deny certain benefits to the workers?”

Meinema denied the union is strong-arming workers to join.

Wal-Mart said it will fight the latest ruling.

A labour relations board decision on whether the store in Weyburn will be unionized is expected soon. As well, the Supreme Court of Canada is expected to hear arguments early next year about the Quebec store closure.

Ken V,

“The waitresses that worked for me thought it was fine”

Bet the waitresses that couldn’t meet YOUR imposed tip limits, didn’t think it was ‘fine’ when you told them to “Hit the bricks”!!

“Turnover rate, to start with. The last time Wal-Mart released their company-wide turnover rate it was in the high 40%.”

You seem to want to overlook the fact, that many of Wal-Mart’s workers are high school & college students who are only working until graduation and then will move on and part-time people who are using Wal-Mart as a ‘stepping stone’, and then either meet their part-time income goals and quit or find a ‘better’ job!!  And, lastly, retirees who just get a short term job to supplement their retirement income!!

Retail, like fast food, is not like many other businesses, who are more ‘selective’ in who they hire, Wal-Mart will hire just about ‘anybody’, because they are a ‘low skill’ employer!!  And, only the ‘go-getters’ who want to rise in the ranks of the company, will stay for a long period of time!!

“Granted, now that we’re deep in a recession, jobs are hard to come by and Wal-Mart’s disposable workforce pool is greatly increased”

This is an example of how Wal-Mart can become a ‘Safety Net’, for people who were disposed of elsewhere!!  Wal-Mart provides jobs for people who can’t find work elsewhere, so they can get back up on their feet!!

“Wal-Mart will hire just about ‘anybody’, because they are a ‘low skill’ employer!!”

Were you a ‘high skill’ worker Bob(RDS)?

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Alex,

“Were you a ‘high skill’ worker Bob(RDS)?”

It depends on which of my JOBS you are talking about:

Janitor - NO
Semi Truck Driver - YES
Shipping Clerk - YES
Foundry worker - NO
Lab Tech - YES
Quality Control Tech - YES
QC Supervisor - YES

And, at no job (except the QC Supervisor job @ $15.50/hr), did I ever make more than $13.00/hr!!

So as a Semi Truck Driver, Shipping Clerk, Lab Tech, Quality Control Tech and Supervisor, so what made you ‘high skilled’? What was the fine line that you crossed that made you ‘skilled’?

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ALEX,

“what made you ‘high skilled’? What was the fine line that you crossed that made you ‘skilled’?

It was things called ‘education’ & ‘training’, learning to do something, that just ‘anybody’ off the street, couldn’t do!!  It was doing something that takes longer than 1 hour to learn!!

Gathering up carts, greeting people, and putting ‘cans & bottles’ on shelves, requires very little ‘traning and education’ and ‘anyone’ walking in the door, can learn to do them in 15 minutes!!  Some of the jobs I listed, took YEARS of training & education, to do them!!

So RDS, how many years of school and training did it take you to become the following?

Semi Truck Driver,
Shipping Clerk,
Lab Tech,
Quality Control Tech and then a Supervisor.

Looking forward to the possibility of a more concrete answer.
Or you could just give a non-answer just as you did above if you really don’t feel comfortable answering the question.
I will understand.

Take care
Alex

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Driver....clerk....tech....supervisor~RDS(Bob)

Those are the same words used in the retail trade Bob(RDS).

Maybe you not so above Walmart workers after all.

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Alex,

As you talk like an idiot, I’ll turn it back to you:  How long do you think it would take you, to learn how to drive a semi-trailer truck? A Shipping clerk (responsible for all shipments from a factory, by truck, rail, air, and ship, to points in the U.S., Canada and foreign countries)? A Lab tech.(doing metalurgical tests)?  A Quality Control Tech. (testing for product quality, by use of gauges and computer assisted testers, to measure ten thousands of an inch)?  A Supervisor of Quality Control Technicians?

For me, some of it took a year and some took as much as 2 or 3 years, to become proficient at it!!  Most of these jobs, I had to train as an apprentice for a year or two before getting the job!!  I just didn’t walk in off the street and start doing them!!  You have to remember, I worked in the trucking industry for 12 years, Shipping for 5 years, Foundry for 12 years and my last job was 13 years, 10 years of which was in Quality Control!!  And, these are not the only jobs I had, only the ones that required education and experience and most of the time, I started at a labor job and I worked my way up to those jobs!!

The main point is: I could walk into Wal-Mart and learn any job there in less than a week, but, hardly any Wal-Mart worker, could do most of the jobs I was doing, in less than a week!!  And, if you can’t understand the difference between a ‘skilled’ and ‘non skilled’ job, I can’t tell you!!

And, at no job (except the QC Supervisor job @ $15.50/hr), did I ever make more than $13.00/hr!!

You brag about that. Like drudging through life is something to be proud of. Perhaps if you’d used your brain instead of your back you could have pulled yourself up a little higher.

Live Better In Cheap Underwear

“For me, some of it took a year and some took as much as 2 or 3 years, to become proficient at it!!  Most of these jobs, I had to train as an apprentice for a year or two before getting the job!!  I just didn’t walk in off the street and start doing them!! 

So how many hears of education did it take?
You also increase the years by saying words like ‘proficient’.

Not too convincing Bob.

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Ken V,

“You brag about that. Like drudging through life is something to be proud of.”

Yes, I am proud of what I accomplished and I don’t call it ‘drudging’, just because I didn’t cry about my wages, I adjusted wages to ‘cost of living’!!  Which is better’, making $50.00 an hour and paying $3,000.00/month rent, or making $10.00 an hour and paying $300.00/month rent?  Person A making $50.00/hr, has to work 60 hours to earn enough to pay their rent, while Person B, only has to work 30 hours to earn enough to pay their rent!!

“Perhaps if you’d used your brain instead of your back you could have pulled yourself up a little higher.”

Isn’t that what I was telling Alex that I did?  Education, is using your brain!!

Besides, isn’t that exactly what your side is crying about?  That people like the Waltons use their ‘brain’ instead of their backs and the people who ‘use their backs’ aren’t pulling themselves up ‘a litte higher’, so they need to be given MORE!!

Alex,

Like I said, if you are too dense to know the difference between ‘skilled’ and ‘non skilled’ workers, I can’t explain it to you, because you wouldn’t understand if I did!!  Also, it could mean that YOU have been a ‘non skilled’ worker all your life and have NO IDEA what ‘skilled’ means!!

So how many hears of education did it take?
You also increase the years by saying words like ‘proficient’.

Your the one suggesting that you are above Walmart retail workers.  You won’t truely show what makes you special and that’s ok Bob. You’ll always be special to those who post on this board.

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Alex,

“You won’t truely show what makes you special and that’s ok Bob.”

You can’t really be that dumb, now, can you?  I NEVER said that I was ‘special’, there are millions just like me in the world, people would take the time and effort to educate themselves, so they can perform jobs that are beyond, basic labor!!

I’ve tried in ‘simple’ terms, to describe which of my jobs were ‘non-skilled’ and which were ‘skilled’, but, I guess that ONLY someone who has NEVER worked a ‘skilled’ job, would have a hard time understanding the difference!!

One last example, see if you can understand it:  A bricklayer, is a ‘skilled’ worker, the guy who carries the bricks to the bricklayer, is a ‘non-skilled’ worker!!  Anybody can carry bricks, but not everybody can lay bricks!!

“A bricklayer, is a ‘skilled’ worker, the guy who carries the bricks to the bricklayer, is a ‘non-skilled’ worker!!  Anybody can carry bricks, but not everybody can lay bricks!!~RDS

Thanks for the info Bob(RDS). The bricklayer is an excellent example if we were talking about bricklaying.
However we were dealing with the following:

Semi Truck Driver,
Shipping Clerk,
Lab Tech,
Quality Control Tech and then a Supervisor.

But thanks for dodging the question. As I have always said that you don’t have to answer. That is your option. I respect that you’re not going to.

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i would like to ask how much is the employees salary at Walmart?

for me, i think there is nothing wrong to accept gifts or tips from satisfied customers. Some thinks that if Walmart will start to allow this, they will decrease the workers salaries?I know walmart will understand.The management of Walmart should revise some of their company rules or policies.

Alex,

“However we were dealing with the following:

Semi Truck Driver,
Shipping Clerk,
Lab Tech,
Quality Control Tech and then a Supervisor.

I don’t know what you want, when you ask that question!!

Do you want me to go into how much training I had to do to learn how to drive a semi-trailer truck?  Check out a ‘Truck Driving School’ and see what they say is needed!!  Plus, I had to take a special driving test to obtain my License!!

As for the Shipping Clerk job, because of what I had to do, most would call the job, a ‘Traffic & Export Manager’, I had to take a course in Traffic & Transportation Management” for 1 year, plus I had to study Export Banking procedures and Export Regulations!!  I had to cordinate manufacturing, loading, shipping (truck, rail, air), booking passage on a ship (export), make up ‘Bills of Lading’ & other shipping documents,’Export Declarations’ and obtain ‘Letters of Credit’, plus arrange transportation in the foreign country, from the port to the buyer!!

Lab Tech, I had to take courses on how to run a Spectrometer, read micros, analyse metal chemistry, tensile strength & hardness measurement and bonding agent content!!

Q.C. Tech, I had to take courses in Gauge usage, creating “R-Bar and X-Bar charts”, creating Histograms, and running an Akron-Standard computerized measuring machine!!

Q.C. Supervisor, classes in employee management, the Dale Carnegie Course, anti harrassment and other aspects of Quality Control (Heat treating, destruction testing, and product inspection), and became the link between employees and upper management!!  And, I was responsible for the quality content of ALL product produced during our shift, and about 30 Quality Techs, therefore, I had to be fully knowledgable in every aspect of Quality Control testing methods!!  This required years of training!!

Does that help you understand?  Could the average Wal-Mart employee do any of that, just walking off the street?

Bob, bless your heart! Were you raised be “praise junkies”?

vpiper,

“Were you raised be “praise junkies”?”

No, if you read the posts by Alex, you would see I was just answering his questions and trying to explain something!!  He brought it up, I didn’t!!  I just believe in ‘personal responsiblity’ and that people can promote and guide their own destinies!!

BTW:  Do you have a problem with people doing it on their own, as compared to people with their hands out all the time?

vpiper,

“Were you raised be “praise junkies”?”

I was raised by parents who DID praise ‘self assurance’ and ‘self achievement’ in their children, all 7 of us, but they were not what YOU would call ‘junkies’, as they DID punish bad behavior!! 

Were you raised by “victim junkies”, what I call the “pity poor me” syndrome?  Parents who always pointed out the ‘dark cloud’ behind that ‘silver lining’, ones that always said, “You can’t get ahead in life, because “THE MAN” will always keep you down, so why bother trying”!!  I prefer the ‘positive’ view, rather than the ‘negative’ view of life!!