Anyone here ever work at WalMart?

[deborah_r]

I am watching this Walmart documentary on MSNBC. The company seems rather "cultish" to me, and definitely not someplace I would ever want to work. I hope that didn't offend anyone, just what they have showed so far seems like cult behavior to me. The meetings look like revivals and there's lots of singing and cheers. I would not be able to get into all of that, itis just not for me. I was skeptical of Mommy & Me at first with all the singing, but I came around eventually :)

I have heard lots of stories from people who have worked at Walmart, but usually it's people I don't know first-hand. I was wondering if anyone here has direct experience as an "associate" (their word for employee) with Walmart and what you think of the company?

[deborah_r]

I am watching this Walmart documentary on MSNBC. The company seems rather "cultish" to me, and definitely not someplace I would ever want to work. I hope that didn't offend anyone, just what they have showed so far seems like cult behavior to me. The meetings look like revivals and there's lots of singing and cheers. I would not be able to get into all of that, itis just not for me. I was skeptical of Mommy & Me at first with all the singing, but I came around eventually :)

I have heard lots of stories from people who have worked at Walmart, but usually it's people I don't know first-hand. I was wondering if anyone here has direct experience as an "associate" (their word for employee) with Walmart and what you think of the company?

[jubilee]

I have a great friend that worked at WalMart in Missouri, and she thought it was a decent place to work. I will also add she is a minority and was also in Bible College at the time. She says she was never discrimated against or asked to do anything unethical. If it was a cult, she'd be all over that!!

I used to work for Mervyns (which if they don't have one in your area, it is a sister company of Target). The meetings were kind of "revival" like. Every morning they did cheerleading cheers, jumping jacks, rub the shoulders of the person next to you, high fives... it was different and sometimes uncomfortable.

My mom used to work for a Japanese-based technology manufacturer and they did lots of that too- and lots of stretching breaks.

[deborah_r]

Oh wow, I would not be down with the rubbing shoulders thing. I really don't like people I am not comfortable with touching me AT ALL!

Maybe I'm too cynical, but I just think if I get a job as a cashier, that requires being friendly to customers, handling the money correctly, scanning the items, etc. No cheerleading/shoulder-rubbing necessary. I know they are people trying to get people excited and make them feel like a team, but I feel that those tactics are really used to make people feel loyal to the company so they will overlook things like below average pay and benefits.

[Melanie]

I figured that based upon the attitudes of those who work there, it can't be a good place to be employed..though I live where no one could ever make a decent living based upon that as their only income.

[JulieL]

I worked at a Super Wal-Mart the year before I got married. It was aweful. The hours were totally unpredictable. I was a cashier. The holidays is HELL because Wal-Mart has one of the biggest toy departments. Any down time at all went to being pushed back in toys figuring out where "Belle Barbie" goes. So be nice this year and put things back when you are Christmas Shopping. Then I got married and transfered to Sam's Club. When I transferred they told me I would work in the bakery. That didn't happen, I went back to being a cashier. But what really didn't make sence to me was I got a dollar increase in pay from just transfering! I felt totally jipped as I worked longer at Wal-mart than I ended up working at Sam's Club. Once again at Sam's the hours were horrid: 7-3 one day, 2-10 the next, 12-8 the next - totally unpredictable. It's hard to have much time together when married having hours like that. I worked often when DH was not. The pay is so low. At Sam's with my dollar increase I was paid $6.25 an hour. Oh and at Wal-Mart you didn't get to have a weekend off until you worked there for I think 3 months - major suck. I hated it and would never work a job like that agian unless I had to.

[candybomiller]

I haven't worked at WallyWorld, but I was watching that special. Very interesting. I'm very torn between wanting to get the best price for my money and supporting places that are specifically American Made. It's a dilemna, especially when sometimes money is REALLY tight with me being in school. :(

[bostonsmama]

I think it has nothing to do with the best deal. In our society, some stores get a bad wrap, and others don't. I have worked retail in three places: American Eagle Outfitters, The Gap, and Catherine's (although that didn't last long because I was too small for the clothing). I can tell you first hand that working at American Eagle and The Gap was the exact same experience that others had working at Wal-mart & Sam's Club. I got paid minimum wage (until I went to Catherine's). I got called in at all hours of the day and every weekend. More annoying is the fact that they sent me home all the time if the store wasn't busy (I would waste the gas on a 20 minute drive in only to stay an hour and go home). They were very cult-like in that you had to dress a certain way, act a certain way, even talk a certain way. The managers were nasty and pushy (daily & weekly sales quotas for any floorperson, as well as pusing credit cards with 26% interest rates on unsuspecting consumers). Everything was oriented around the ALL-MIGHTY buck! In addition, I'm wearing a shirt right now from AE that's made in Brunei, and you can't tell me they pay them minimum wage. Also, my gap pants are made in Sri Lanka, and I don't think they pay them top dollar for their goods either. Check any sweatshop watchdog list and you'll find some of your favorite "boutiques" listed there for labor violations. So, tell me, how is that different from Wal-mart? And why aren't these smaller stores getting a bad wrap too? Big-box stores get such a bad wrap, but I can point you to 100 other smaller stores and boutiques whose practices would send you running for the hills.

I did not direct this post towards anyone in particular, I just wanted to convey my work experience and how it's not so different from Wally-World. So, buy what you want from who you want...but don't trick yourself into thinking that smaller stores are too different.

[new_mommy25]

I worked at the Gap four years ago and got paid $8 an hour. When I left I was up to $10. Minumun wage was around $6.75 I think. I told them what days and hours I was availiable and they were very gracious in working around me. It was my first (and only!) retail job and I liked it a lot. Yes you do need to wear their clothes but that is true of most every retail clothing store. You can get by with some basic denim and tees. I was never told I had to act or talk a certain way and I didn't get a cult-like vibe at all. I really enjoyed working there and only left because I got paid more working in restaurants and the hours weren't as long.

We used to have protests outside the store ALL the time. At least once a month. (Good ol' Seattle!). The Gap defended themselves by passing out literature detailing how they paid foreign workers according to their cost of living and such. A lot of it was probably crap but I tried not to think about it. I just wanted to pay my rent.

Also, "smaller" stores get a bad rap all the time. Look at Abercrombie & Fitch. I'm constantly seeing them on the news blasted for this and that.

[egoldber]

This is why I no longer shop at Gap/Old Navy/Banana Republic, as well as WalMart.

Almost all clothing sold in the US is now made overseas (even our beloved Hanna is mostly made in Asia or the Pacific Islands). The cost of domestic labor for clothing makes the price of the clothes cost prohibitive to sell. But IMO there's a difference between having a factory overseas (which is a reality of being in the retail clothing industry today) and having what amounts to slave labor.

I look here now before I shop: http://www.responsibleshopper.org/

[C99]

I've never worked for Wal-Mart, but many of the white-collar companies I've worked for have had those kinds of team-building and morale-building exercises. I don't think that they are necessarily a bad thing.

[MelissaTC]

Will be on again tonight at 10 pm on CNBC...

[vikivoly]

I've worked a lot of retail when I was younger, including Wal-mart. It is all about the same. The hours are terrible, the pay is very low, they treat you with little respect and the customers are a PITA. The only difference is Wal-mart tries to make you believe that the above complaints aren't a reality. They call you an associate instead of an employee, pay you a dollar above minimum wage, and a computer spits out your schedule (that makes it fair).

I found it to be very cultish. It was not for me. To them a perfect employee would be someone like Spongebob. I was much more like Squidword. :) We had to do that stupid chant every morning. "Give me a squigly" - give me a break! I was treated just as bad as every other minimum wage job I ever had, they just smiled while they treated you like $#!+.

[deborah_r]

What *is* the deal with the squiggly? Isn't there a star between the Wal and the Mart?

[vikivoly]

YOUR RIGHT! I never thought about it. I actually thought it was a dash (-). But to get the squiggly right, they actually expect you to put your hands together and shake your shoulders, hips and waist.