Walmart's Internal Compensation Documents Reveal Systematic Limit On Advancement

[highplainsdem]

Source: Huffington Post

The company website declares that "a job at Walmart opens the door to a better life" and "the chance to grow and build a career." But interviews with 31 hourly workers and one former store manager reveal lives beset by paychecks too small to handle the bills, difficult to manage part-time schedules with hours subject to constant change, and little reason to hope for career advancement. Citing fear of losing their jobs, most spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The testimonials of these workers are confirmed by Walmart’s official compensation policy, an internal company document obtained by The Huffington Post, titled the "Field Non-Exempt Associate Pay Plan Fiscal Year 2013." The plan details a rigid pay structure for hourly employees that makes it difficult for most to rise much beyond poverty-level wages.

Low-level workers typically start near minimum wage, and have the potential to earn raises of 20 to 40 cents an hour through incremental promotions. Flawless performance merits a 60 cent raise per year under the policy, regardless of how much time an employee has worked for the company. (Click here to read the full pay policy) As a result, a "solid performer" who starts at Walmart as a cart pusher making $8 an hour and receives one promotion, about the average rate, can expect to make $10.60 after working at the company for 6 years.

-snip-

The retired store manager said that 70 percent of the workers at his outlet were part-time, meaning they worked no more than 32 hours a week. That ratio was imposed by his bosses at Walmart’s Bentonville, Ark., headquarters, he said, as a means of saving costs on benefits such as medical insurance, which are more easily accessible to full-time workers.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/walmarts-internal-compensation-plan_n_2145086.html

[cstanleytech]

1. This kinda BS isnt limited to walmart but its across almost all the retail industry.

And no I am not saying that makes it less bad because others do it rather I am just shining a light on the fact that the problem is widespread both with big businesses and small ones and thus the only way to fix it isnt by say boycotting said stores but rather we need to go to those who can fix it which is congress and the senate.
For example how about a % tax break to businesses that employee a larger and larger % of workers for full time and for businesses that pay a larger and larger % of their workers more money on average?

[ForgoTheConsequence]

2. Yep.

Target does it to. Just as bad, maybe worse. They just put a trendier more stylish face on it.

[crunch60]

4. I think Walmart was the first to establish low pay, poor to non existence benefits, Many retailers

followed suit as they realized Walmart could get away with this disgusting behavior toward their employees.

I talked to an associate at Home Depot and they are doing the same there, more shifts, less hours, few or non existence benefits.

[sigmasix]

6. gotta start somewhere

Walmart is the largest though, so if the union can accomplish the goal of educating the workers so that they understand the benefits to workers at walmart and the company itself from unionization, then smaller employers will fall in line.

[GitRDun]

3. These companies need to start paying for

the food stamps, medicaid we all have to fork over because they don't pay a living wage. Until that happens, they will keep dumping their costs on the taxpayer.

[PSPS]

5. Walmart used to (maybe still does) hand out public assistance forms at new employee orientation.

The worst kind of "corporate welfare."

[jerseyjack]

7. Rather, the government needs to be paying all the health care.

MEDICARE, "PART E" for everyone.

[amandabeech]

12. You are 100% correct.

It's sickening to support Mall Wart with tax dollars!

[mrsadm]

8. I'm sorry but don't the customers share some blame in this?

Everybody shops at Walmart for the lowest prices and ignores the cost of getting them those prices.

[lbrtbell]

10. I beg to differ

I live in a very small town, and I shop at Walmart because it's the only place you can get fresh food within 50 miles.

There's one mom and pop store, but the food is always expired and the fruit is spoiled. They sell no meats at all. Even a candy bar we bought there had turned bad because of age. The only things we buy there are milk and bread, as they're brought in weekly.

We in town hate having to drive so far to get food, but it's either that or 1) get sick or 2) starve.

And I'm disabled, so I can't drive 100 miles to the nearest city that has other shopping options besides Walmart. I can barely make it TO Walmart.

I'm NOT shopping there on Black Friday, to show my solidarity with the unions. But sadly, I'm forced to shop there otherwise.

As are many people in rural areas.

Please don't assume that everyone lives in a city where they have shopping choices. We don't.

[mrsadm]

11. Fair enough, thank you

[antigone382]

9. Darden would only give you a raise of a maximum of 25 cents a year.

Unless you became a certified trainer, when you would get a one-time dollar raise.