http://app.businessweek.com/UserComm... &pageIndex=1
Amanda In Texas Nov 21, 2006 8:40 PM GMT I worked at Wal-Mart for 7 years. When I left in 2001, I was only making $6.33 an hour! Since then I have seen the Wal-Marts in my area go "corrupt". Manangers get the big checks while the hourly associates get paid next to nothing. I have also seen where I am at that they hire people who don't even speak English. It has gotten to the point here where Wal-Mart has driven out all of the other stores. Another thing that angers me is that they are doing away with Lay-Away in lieu of their credit card. What about the people of this country who don't have perfect credit and can't get a credit card? I guess those "high paid Wal-Mart Executives" just don't care about the poor people anymore. I am to the point now where I absolutely dread going to Wal-Mart, but where I am at, it's the only place to shop.
tigger Nov 21, 2006 8:37 PM GMT I have been at Walmart 7 years. Just got a raise to 8.52 an hour. With new rules on unexcused absences whether or not its sickness related and working so short handed (saving salaries for profits), lack of bonus for associates (not store managers) it seems we're just lucky to have a job since ther isn't much left in this small town.
Aaron Nov 21, 2006 8:11 PM GMT Quiet you stupid communists and let the capitalist free market work its magic. I am currently employed with Smith's (a branch off kroger) I was supposed to get a raise after 1000 hours of working there. Its been about 5000 hours and still no raise. You should walk into my store and see how many "made in the USA" tags they have, hint: only a few just like Wal-Mart. If you want to support USA products then thats fine, but until we can get competitive with foreign markets then I am going to do business with the so called "sweatshops".
Raymond Lugo Nov 21, 2006 7:43 PM GMT I am still asking myself how one year into starting to work at Wal-Mart I am making less in my salary. I was a clerk making $9.35 and now I'm a merchandise supervisor im making $9.05 - with more responsibility. I just got a raise which was above expecation and am still making less than last year.
Lisa Nov 15, 2006 4:07 AM GMT Wal-Mart will never improve its reputation until associates are treated with respect. Harassment and discrimination still happen in the stores - which in itself isn't unusual. What's awful is what happens when Home Office finds out about it. Nothing. They do nothing. You can read my story at www.WalmartAssistantSpeaks.com
Jennifer Nov 15, 2006 2:36 AM GMT Instead of spending so much to improve commercials and to increase public image to media leaders and government officials that do not use their product, here's an idea. Wal-Mart, staff appropriately. Don't make me wait 10 minutes in line at a register to buy my second choice of product as what I came in for is sitting in the backroom and not on the shelf where I can buy it. Don't make me push my shopping cart with someone else's Coke bottle in the bottom of it through a dirty aisle with dog food dumped all over the floor. Don't expect me to wait half an hour for someone to call an associate over to mix paint. My time and a pleasant shopping experience are more valuable to me than any discounts you offer. I worked for you for five years. I watched the number of employees drop by a third in my store. When I made it into management, we had to complete with six people what used to be the job of 10. Take your advertising money and put it into your stores. We all know you exist.
Lucille Nov 4, 2006 10:07 PM GMT Wal-Mart needs to consider that their long term employees would stay with them if they were treated better. They need to investigate some of the managers they employ. They have no people skills. I reported one of them to the home office. They did nothing about him because he makes money for the store at th expense of customers and associates. They need better customer service. He has run off a whole lot of good employees, including assistant managers.
Carol Nov 2, 2006 2:36 AM GMT Wal-Mart only does what puts money in upper managements pockets. I worked for them for five years and "family friendly" is a fantasy. Affordable health care unheard of. Money hungry is all they are. Fact is many of their employees are on public assistance like foodstamps and medi-cal/medicaid. I am now a case worker and see it every day.
dg3 Nov 1, 2006 11:13 PM GMT Wow, never heard of a homophobic attack aimed toward the wallbox instead of all the trash that they peddle for a loss in the store. The company was a paradigm shift when Walton grew it and was all pro-USA etc. But his spawn have sold out to China, the Red Menace - both politically and spiritually, and become the absolute model of corporate slavery. They even pass out instructions on how to collect welfare, wic, medicaid, when their "fodder" are hired - what does that say?
We have no philosophy Oct 31, 2006 11:51 PM GMT I also work for Wal-Mart and have for almost 20 years. We have no leadership and no core philosophy as we did when we had Sam. Lee and his current guys are weak and no one is taking us anyhere, just answering the latest whim of the latest million dollar study they are paying for as they cap our wages to pay for it. We are done for without new people who know how to run a company. Period.
Ed Oct 31, 2006 10:35 PM GMT Wal-Mart has been fanatical about keeping unions out of its workforce. There are other companies that have used this strategy, but they try to give their employees a "fair shake" and they try to keep lines of communication open between labor and management. For example, Toyota's factories in the U.S.A. take this approach and the company has productive and relatively happy hourly workers. Wal-Mart does not do this. Instead, it bullies its workers into submission and forces them to do things management's way. All of its lines of communication are a one-way street from the top to the bottom. There is an American saying that "what goes around comes around", and it is coming around hard for Wal-Mart. I am glad that I do not own stock in this company.
Wal Ex Oct 31, 2006 4:51 PM GMT Jalabi, YOU ARE WRONG!! WalMart pushes US companies overseas and is responsible for more than half of our country's debt. I remember 15 years ago, if you applied for a position in a department, you actually had to have knowledge about that area. Now WalMart just hires the cheapest dumbest person and sticks them in a position. WalMart is the Satan of retail. Starting pay average $6.50 and 90% of the workforce is considered prt time, so NO insurance. That is about 10K a year, try to live on it. I am ready for them to close ALL of their stores. I pay more just so I do not support them. Do some homework you will see how HORRIBLE they are!!
Piense El Tanque Oct 31, 2006 4:37 PM GMT I feel like a broken record...but, I will say it again! If Wal-Mart is such a terrible place to work, DON'T WORK THERE! If you can't get a job anywhere else, it is probably your own fault! Our local Wal-Mart is about six months old and has been struggling with keeping employees since it opened. There are plenty of employment opportunities in the area. Because of this, employees are basically naming thier price. You don't need a union to bring wages up, you just need decent competition. Oh, and by the way, people hate being told what to do. So all of you Wal-mart haters out there that spend all your time preaching the evils of Wallyworld, you aren't getting through! You are only making us want to support them more!
Karry Oct 31, 2006 3:16 PM GMT "I am employee of wal-mart. And I know wal-mart is ugly monster. It exploits loyal employees by asking them to work extra hours without any overtime. I am working in wal-mart ISD. It is worst place on earth. Here employees put at least 70 to 80 hours per week and no overtime is paid. Which is unethical. I am stuck in wal-mart , because of family reasons I can not leave the company. there are not other opprunity in this area.
Wonjun Lee Oct 31, 2006 7:10 AM GMT Wal-Mart was finished by local competitors in Korea. It no longer exists in Korea. However, when it was in Korea, it did worse. It seemed to never care about the local consumer. We're happy about the result.
Cdub in GZ Oct 31, 2006 6:22 AM GMT I stopped shopping at Wal-Mart four years ago in the US, simply because I couldn't stand the store's atmosphere. I recently moved to China, and after hearing about Wal-Mart's expansion into it, I actually got to check out a store in person. I was in Shenzen for a meeting and had lunch at the Wal-Mart next door. The remarkable difference from the usual shopping experience in China? The friendly greeter, the clear aisles of products, and loads of everything. Call it a sick type of homesickness, but it was actually fun and familiar in the sense that there was service. Wal-Mart may be basic in the US but here in China, it offers a completely different--and better--experience than the norm. It feels cleaner, more orderly, and an actual sense of effort towards customer service. In terms of public image, that is something they are apparently approaching with caution. Wal-Mart is not popular here yet, but we will see how it builds its image over the next few years.
Jenni Mally Jan 6, 2007 1:33 AM GMT I use to work for Wal-Mart. They had the worst ethics in any place that I have ever worked. The pay was terrible and I couldn't even afford the health insurance that they offered. Wal-Mart says that they will help work around your classes but the only way for me to continue working there and keep my hours was to switch to third shift. Even by going to third I still didn't get paid properly. I advoid shopping there and even going there with others if at all possible.
