Wal-Mart Internal Memo Urges Hiring Younger Workers to Avoid Health Benefit Costs - Oct. 26, 2005
This is just wrong. The internal memo was leaked out and the VP there is suggesting that to increase profitability they should hire younger, healthier workers and weed out the older, more-inclined to have health benefit claims employees by, for example, making cashiers go out to the parking lot and bring back shooping carts - a physically demanding task.
I've shopped at Wal-Mart for certain things for a couple of years now, and this has me jaded as Hell; their prices are great, but if they're really THIS greedy and malevolent, then they can go screw themselves. I'll go back to Target (better store environment anyway and very good prices as well).
I may never spend another dime at Wal-Mart...
Wal-Mart memo proposes employee cost cuts - Oct. 26, 2005
posted by Nightfly at 9:35 AM
2 Comments:
Check here, though:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2005-10-25-walmart_x.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/25/news/fortune500/walmart_wage/
It's a link to articles in both CNNMoney.com and USA TODAY.com in which the article states that Wal-Mart is petitioning Congress to raise the minimum wage level.
And I quote:
"Wal-Mart Stores (WMT), under attack from critics including labor groups and environmentalists, has called on Congress to raise the minimum wage, and has vowed to cut energy usage, reduce waste and offer lower-price health care to employees.
In a speech to employees released Tuesday, Chief Executive Lee Scott said the minimum wage "is out of date with the times," noting that many Wal-Mart customers do not have enough money to buy basic necessities between paychecks."
I would think this cancels out that internal memo that was allegedly leaked. Quite honestly, it strikes me as being one hand not knowing what the other is doing. Why call for the reduction of a work force compromised of the elderly, and then turn around and petition Congress for a raise in the hourly minimum wage?
I'm all for raising minimum wage in order to compensate working families as well as those living below or right at the national poverty level.
This bothers me as well.
That said, it is completely within their rights to add some physical activity to jobs to aim for a more healthier workforce.
I actually think we're going to see a lot more of this, and it's not just Wal-Mart. Companies are already firing workers for smoking, and I am sure fatness is next.
The problem is the healthcare system. We need a system whereby health insurance goes back to being what it once was: major medical insurance, and people paid for the little things.
I'd like to see the full context of the memo, because to be honest, we all know people from various jobs that are hypochondriacs and go to the doctor every other day for every little thing.
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