Who Is Watching Out For Walmart Employees?

Last month, Walmart Senior VP Ken Senser issued a company-wide memo on flu season ‘preparedness.’ His memo claims “the wellbeing of our associates… is a top priority,” and offers guidance on how to “plan ahead” in case the flu virus strikes.

Be prepared for illness: know the company’s sick day policy, the memo advises.

Of course, there is a catch-22 here.  Walmart’s sick leave policy boils down to a simple formula: if you get sick, you find trouble.  Each sick day taken by a Walmart employee results in a “point” (demerit), enough of which will get you fired. 

Walmart’s sick policy results, as this week’s NLC report shows, in a culture that pressures employees to work while ill.  This isn’t just grossly unfair, it’s unbelievably stupid.  Given the rapidly expanding H1N1 pandemic, steering sick workers out of bed and into the aisles is a catalyst for spreading sickness among employees and customers alike.

Which genius in Walmart management could possibly think this is a good idea?  Ken Senser.

Here’s a little background on Walmart’s spymaster turned health “advocate.” Before Mr. Senser was concerned with influenza, he was spying on employees and activists alike as Walmart’s security chief. His crowning acheivement came when company operatives planted a long-haired employee in an “Up Against the Wal” activist meeting.  The bugged employee transmitted audio from the meeting to a surveillance van circling eerily outside.

Senser’s department also spies on employees who are suspected of violating company policy.  His investigators have tailed executives across Central America, for example, to out them publicly for extramarital affairs.  This is the guy entrusted with safeguarding the wellbeing of Walmart’s 1.4 million U.S. employees.  Bizarre.

His de facto role, it would seem, is safeguarding Walmart’s $13 billion in yearly profits. By any means necessary.

Senser is known for bare-knuckle enforcement of policy.  Unfortunately, Walmart’s rigid attendance rules are not productive for anyone.  Not even Walmart’s top shareholders.  It’s simply a recipe for spreading disease among employees and members of their communities. 

At least some government officials are looking out for Walmart’s employees.  HR 3991 could cause Walmart to reconsider its policy by requiring large employers to give 5 days paid leave to sick employees. 

It might well be called the “Walmart Swine Flu Bill"--with policy enforcers like Ken Senser, Walmart is unlikely to make productive changes to its sick policies until regulations force it to.