How WalMart Really is

 I know what you’re thinking, “This is just another Wal-Mart article trying to put ideas into my head and to sabotage Wal-Mart.” Well, it’s not (you probably heard that one, too). I am just telling you my experience at Wal-Mart and what I think of the company. I’ve had good and bad experiences working at Wal-Mart, and seems upon doing some wishful researching so has many others. I applied and was hired from Wal-Mart twice. Both times, two different Wal-Marts, for me, was mostly bad experiences rather than good ones.

 As a past employee of Wal-Mart (twice), I’ve gained some experience, knowledge, and opinions of Wal-Mart. I’ve also noticed how other employees and managers really are behind those smiling faces they give to customers. I’ve noticed that there are a lot of employees that are just not happy working at Wal-Mart. It’s wasn’t the kind of company they thought it seem to be. A lot of employs just wanted to go home, and when they  went home at the end of their shift, it was always with a headache, stressed and exhausted.

When you are hired by Wal-Mart and you go into orientation. They make Wal-Mart seem like the perfect job ever and you can’t wait to start working. Then after sometime of working there, you may realize that it is not all that it was said to be at orientation. They tell you all these wonderful things about the company. How it works, how managements is, what the jobs are like, the benefits, the discount cards, how they’re not really a turnover company. Or how the company is suppose to be anyway, few months later, I realized majority of what was said wasn’t entirely true.

One of the things we were told at orientation is that Wal-Mart is not a turnover company. Now, that’s what they say but I believe otherwise. But one thing I notice is that employees come and go so fast and are replaced almost immediately. Though, their turnover rate has falling, from bout 65% to bout 40-50%, from what was told at the orientation I went to last year. And yet, I still saw familiar faces leave the company and new faces arrive. Regardless of the facts I may find on Wal-Mart and their turnover rate, I do believe that Wal-Mart is a turnover company whether they want to believe it or not. I believe this because, they do think that their employees are replaceable. One main reason is their Leave-of-absence policies. You have to be their a certain amount of hours to qualify for a Medical Leave-of-absence, where you job is protected. But if you don’t meet that qualification you have to take a Personal Leave-of-absence. Where pretty much your job is not protect and you can be replaced at anytime. Why is this? Because you are replaceable.

Another thing they mention at orientation is they do not discriminate, equal opportunities and give people second chances. I find this false, they do not give second chances, if you have a criminal record and just got released from jail, they will not hire you. Even if you have “learned your lesson” and is trying to start a new life and get a honest job, you will be disqualified for hiring. I know this, it happened to someone I know. Apart from that, Wal-Mart has favoritism. Yes, managers have their favorites there, who are more likely to move up faster than someone who actually knows what they are doing. Even if the employees has not been there the required months (which is 6 months to be eligible to move up) they still have a shot at being promoted because of favoritism but will hold other employees until their 6 months is up. I’ve seen this happen too.

Well, that is what I notice from the company Wal-Mart while I worked there. And for the most part, I’m glad I don’t anymore. I can honestly say that. But I want you to remember, this is just my opinion and experiences that I am sharing with you but I believe every word that I wrote. Just like the television commercial I see every now and than, “Wal-Mart can afford to be a better company.”