Lately workers have been telling us that Wal-Mart is using every means possible to cut worker hours, so last week we asked every worker we talk with if it’s happened to them. What we heard back is alarming.

In a weak economy, many businesses are cutting back. But what Wal-Mart’s doing is crossing the line.

We’ve heard from workers who were awarded their yearly raise, only to see their hours cut on the next schedule. We’ve heard of other workers who had their hours cut back just before their health care eligibility, and we’ve heard of older employees who are losing shifts to make way for younger, cheaper workers.

Read these and more at walmartspeakout.com.

From a worker who saw hours cut immediately after a getting a (minimum) yearly raise:

“I got the minimum raise in April during my second-year evaluation… During my evaluation, my assistant manager told me I shouldn’t expect full shifts any longer. They increased my pay, then slashed my hours so that my check is a fraction of what it used to be. The full-time sales associates in my department, other than the department manager, have been cut to 25-35 hours a week instead of 40. Who can make a living working for this company unless you are department manager?”

From a manager:

“Being a dept manager does NOT insure your hours.  We have been “asked” to take an xtra day off here and there and cut hours every other week.  I was thinking about stepping down at one point but found out that even though I am doing more then one person’s job I not only would lose my small raise for taking the dept but would probably lose up to a $1.50 more an hour for stepping down”

From a single mom:

“...If we choose to keep our schedule closed, we will have to drop to part-time or quit. They gave us two weeks to comply. Wal-Mart has signs up everywhere stating they are hiring and offer flexible hours. Not flexible for associates, but flexible for Wal-Mart!!! Now I am faced with trying to find a new job or a new babysitter that will work any hours. I have worked for Wal-Mart for 6 years and they keep taking more and more from us. While the CEO gets a 22 million bonus, we have to cut our hours and work what ever hours they want us to. They have us working 2pm till 11 pm twice a week. How can I find a babysitter for that shift?  In one of our morning meetings, an associate complained about something that was going on in the store and the co-manager told us, “if anyone doesn’t like the way the store is run, come into my office and I will show you how to complain in the unemployment line.” When we talked to our manager about the new schedule, he said “I only get to see my son one day every other week,why should you get anymore time with your kids.” Wal-Mart does not care about their associates.”

Read the rest of this story ...

Starting now, Wal-Mart Watch will be periodically updating you on some of the new comments submitted to our Employee Speak-Out site.  These comments are sent in from visitors to our site who are former or current employees of Wal-Mart and its sister companies, who have been victims of the systematic abuse and discrimination that Wal-Mart is known for inflicting upon its employees.  Remember that if you have a story to tell about working at Wal-Mart, we encourage you to tell us about it - we’ll put it up on the web and let your voice be heard.

As we look forward to the next 4 years, we hope that this website will be among the many tools that Wal-Mart workers use to help change Wal-Mart and their lives for the better.

Workplace stress leads to tragedy for pregnant worker:

“I was a manager in the housewares department. I just got my separation notice from them for not returning to work from my leave of absence. There is a reason I didn’t return; I feel they are responsible for the death of my baby.”

Anonymous on Age-Based Termination:

“Wal Mart is systematically targeting anyone over 40 years of age for firings through systematically assigning the heaviest, most back breaking jobs to that class of people in the facility. Managers are encouraged to pressure senior employees into quitting and firing to ensure that young strong backs are maintained in the facility.”

Anonymous on How Not to Vote

I attended a meeting that was conducted by a market manager. We were not told to not vote for Obama

Great News! Wal-Mart Watch’s new website - walmartspeakout.com - has a had a great first day! We’ve had a ton of visitors on our first day, and even better - new stories from Wal-Mart employees are rolling in. You can bet that we’ll be formatting them and loading ‘em up, so make sure to keep reading the site.

Below are two unbelievable stories we received this morning:

I tripped over the box and went down to the hard cemment floor. I screamed and management came running. I was told to go to the office, so I started hobbling to the office to fill out the paper work. The assistant and support manager were their and after the paper work was filled out they asked me if I wanted to see a doctor and I replied yes. Then they told me I had to see my family doctor. I replied on a Friday night. Saturday morning and they replied yes. My clinic is not open and they me that I have 24 hours to see my family doctor. I was told to go back to work. The store was closed and we are locked in the store at night. I was forced to work for 8 hours when my shift was over I left and said I am going to the ER. The assistance manager just shruged her shoulders. When I was done in the ER I had to go back to the store to give them the papers. The store manager asked me how many days was I going to be off work. and I replied 2 because I don’t work the other days. He replied oh ok. He never asked if I was ok or anything. The following Wed. when I returned back to work the Harassing started by management.That Friday I was cut from full time to part time (I have it on tape). I ended up to going in for surgery and now I must use a wheelchair to get around and I haven’t been back to work.

This one, if true, is terrifying:

I worked for a transportation company that was under contract to WalMart in Canada. When Walmart was closing its Quebec store due to the union issue it requested us to quote on sending in a trailer to the closing store to load 26 pallets of inventory and then deliver 1pallet to each of 26 stores in western canada.This expensive request was to send a message to each store that this skid came from a store that organized a union and now it is closed . Expensive message but you get what their purpose was.