Heart of Gold
Oct 26th, 2005 at 5:35 am by Susie
Walmart proves once and for all how much they care about their employees:
An internal memo sent to Wal-Mart’s board of directors proposes numerous ways to hold down spending on health care and other benefits while seeking to minimize damage to the retailer’s reputation. Among the recommendations are hiring more part-time workers and discouraging unhealthy people from working at Wal-Mart.
Text of Internal Wal-Mart Memo In the memorandum, M. Susan Chambers, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president for benefits, also recommends reducing 401(k) contributions and wooing younger, and presumably healthier, workers by offering education benefits. The memo voices concern that workers with seven years’ seniority earn more than workers with one year’s seniority, but are no more productive.
To discourage unhealthy job applicants, Ms. Chambers suggests that Wal-Mart arrange for “all jobs to include some physical activity (e.g., all cashiers do some cart-gathering).”
I wonder if they can avoid an Americans with Disabilities lawsuit on this one.
And in other WalMart news:
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr. called on Congress to raise the country’s minimum wage from $5.15 an hour, saying the company’s customers are “struggling to get by.”
Scott, head of the world’s largest retailer, which has been criticized for paying low wages, providing few health care benefits and causing the demise of small businesses across the country, ticked off a list of changes he said the company plans to make and called for a higher minimum wage in a speech to directors and executives Monday.
Plus, now they want to save the environment. You don’t suppose they’re trying to stifle opposition to their latest expansion, do you?
Hi. I read your blog through an RSS feed on LiveJournal.
Avoiding ADA lawsuits is not exactly WalMart’s forte. The last time I checked (which was probably three years ago or so), there were something like EIGHTEEN lawsuits entitled EEOC vs. WalMart. I’m sure there are more now. And those are just the ones the EEOC chose to take on. WalMart is the single most egregious violator of Title I of the ADA, the title pertaining to employment discrimination. In one case, they were hauled back in for contempt and violating a prior settlement agreement, and forced to air commercials (at their own expense) admitting to discrimination and giving out the number for filing complaints against them. (The spots were aired in a specific area, so don’t be surprised if you didn’t see them). Frankly, I’d be shocked if the kinds of policies you cited haven’t been there all along.
Thanks for all the useful, timely and intelligent posts. I was referred to your blog by a friend, and now I’m a fan.
-Rachel (tikva)
Right now, H. Lee Scott’s announcements are nothing but talk. The memo from Chambers is more telling. If this company wants to improve its image, it should focus first on changing the business practices that earned them their image. Instead a telling everyone that they are now a good employer, they should first BE a good employer.