idiotic rules at Wal-Mart

[SnapAddict218]

Wait, so if you're going to be late, you have to call an 800 number, get a confirmation, then talk to your actual store...so you end up being even later while you wait on hold? The logic of that astounds me.

I think it's got all of us astounded! I'm sure the logic behind it is that if calling in sick is enough of a PISA, then people won't do it just to get a day off. There are alot of places that have insane call off practices. in reality, it winds up getting the sick folks to just give up and come in anyway.

Ok, some one tell me about the white headband rumor deal? How on earth can that be LEGAL (if it is indeed true)?!

[ditchdj]

And guess what??? Walmart uses company spies!

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070413/wal_m...ping.html?.v=3

----Next time you say anything at Walmart if you work there you better make sure the person you're talking to isnt wearing a wire.

[0oAmericanGirl]

WOW!

After reading that, I am thankful for my job. I can go to the bathroom whenever I want, I can make all the personal phone calls I want (as long as it dosen't interfere with business), I can go to the cafeteria and get a coke whenever I want, I can go to the gift shop and poke around, and I can even visit a friend on another floor for as long as I'm not gone too long. I've never had a problem calling out (when I started my job I had 3 family members die within 3 months of eachother and never heard anything bad from my boss). They like for you to have a Dr's note if you call out sick, but if it's somthing that you don't need to see a Dr for then it's ok.

I worked fast food for 6 months and then retail for 4 1/2 years while in college and if I can ever avoid having to go back into that, I will. I've found that anyone who deals with the public gets cussed out and you can't cuss at them back, that's pretty much good common sense (never stoop down to an idiots level and let them win). I get cussed at and yelled at and even the doctors get that from ignorant people and they just can't take it out on somone else (some do, but our ER docs are the best!)

I worry about how people are being treated at Wal-Mart, I can't believe that 4 hour bullshit! What if a person has a kidney stone present?? That's serious pain and under no circumstances should anyone suffering from a kidneystone be kept from seeking medical attention. Or what if somone has appendicitis, it could be fatal if somone isn't allowed to leave? Wow, I don't want to see anything happen, but Wal-Mart could have some hefty lawsuits on their hands if somone gets sick and isn't allowed to go home and later dies from their illness.

I hope Wal-Mart gets what is comming to them.

[zeoquean]

Man...my store must be very relaxed or something...lol. Cause I'm a cashier at Wal-Mart...and when red lining...I always talk to the people next to me. Heck, I was over to the register next to me and just talk. Come to think of it, no one every red lines at my store after 7 pm. I also just walk to the bathroom and just let the CSM know where I'm going...or let another cashier know so they can tell the CSM. And they have always let me go home early if I was sick...one time, I was there for a whole 15 minutes before I got sick. Another time, I was there for an hour and got sick, and they let me go home. And there have been only 3 times when someone screamed at me and made me cry...I got very upset after that...of coruse...and then they let me turn off my light, walk away, and sit for a while to calm down. And there are plenty of cashiers at my store that AREN'T friendly at all..

That whole 1800 number thing is a joke though...I don't have it...and I called the store...and they asked if I called it...I said I didnt have it..so they gave it to me. And I had to call it, but just wrote the confirmation down. Of all the times I called in sick with that thing, no one ever asked me for a confirmation number. So what's the point of that then?

[zeoquean]

Oh, I have a Wal-Mart question.

BF is coming to visit next week (tomorrow! whee!), he works at Wal-Mart and he doesn't have a lot of money for his trip (rough winter). We'll be ok; we can stretch our money, but pay week is next week and I was wondering if Wal-Mart does direct deposit. We'd like to get his paycheck deposited into his bank on payday since he won't be around next week. I don't think Personnel will be open until Monday, and because I'm anxious . . . I'd like to know now!

Yes, Walmart does do direct deposit...thats what I have...I just don't care to stop in on a day that I don't work (I never work on my paydays) so its just easier for me that way. Plus, I always forget to get it...lol

[Erin]

9. IF a customer complains about you about anything then it will be held against you EVEN IF you didn't do anything wrong. Management will ALWAYS believe the customer no matter what.

Yep...been there, had that happen. I was working in WM's fabric dept... Some nutjob and her daughter came in to buy some fabric to make the daughter some school clothes. She handed me a bolt of fabric to cut a few yards off.

I put the bolt on the table, measured out her fabric, and started to cut. As soon as I started cutting, she pulled the end of the fabric towards herself and her daughter. Pulled it hard enough that my hand with the scissors slipped and I ended up cutting my other hand with the scissors. I gave the woman a look that probably showed a wee bit of anger, and all of a sudden she was throwing buttons and zippers and spools of thread at me, and screaming that she'd never been treated so rudely and stomped off.

I went into the back of the store, looking for the first aid kit to get a band-aid, and saw my manager. So I went over to explain to him how I cut my hand, and that the woman went off on me and I'd never said anything nasty to her, but probably gave her a look because she caused me to cut my hand. He said that he'd take care of it.

Twenty minutes later, I'm in his office, getting bitched at, and was given a Decision Day. (a paid day off, where I get to sit and think about whether or not I want to keep my job) and I had to write a letter to the manager explaining why I want to keep my job, and a letter of apology for being rude to that woman. (wtf?)

So, I went home, wrote the required sucking-up-letters and then came back to work a day or two later. I got to keep my job...for another 3 months. Then 9-11 happened, and the store was totally empty for weeks after the attacks. Management panicked because people were staying home instead of coming out to shop, so they started to fire everyone they had reason to fire, and a bunch of people that they had to make up reasons to fire. I'm not exactly sure which category I fit in there, but I'm actually glad the fired me. That place sucked the life out of me, and they're lucky I never walked down to Sporting Goods and borrowed a rifle and some ammo.

[karma_gypsy]

Wow, I didn't know about those rules of Wal-Mart. And the amount of times my mom told me to go and apply for a job there (they've got great benefits, blah blah blah). Job I work at is laid back, we get free DVDs occasionally if we hit a certain sales goal for the day. Plus, I get 401K and medical. My sister and her husband still poke fun at me because it's a minimum wage job . . .

What really surprised me recently, is that our Wal-Mart actually closed for Easter. I mean, full on closed. The whole day. Fred Meyers was still open, but Wal-Mart wasn't (which is kind of unheard of). I thought it was pretty cool that Wal-Mart was closed (I mean, I think they were even remained open later than usual on Christmas Eve), good for the employees, I'm glad to see them have a day off.

My co-workers (bless their illogical hearts though), managed to bitch about it a day later about being closed. Oh dear . . .

[zzapp the witch]

In May of 1999, I was a cashier at Walmart. I had worked there since September of 1998 without ever doing the job I was hired for---Fabric Dept. Never saw it. I was 20 years old, a newlywed, and 4 months pregnant with my first. It was time for inventory, and EVERYONE was staying til past one am on a regular basis (and not getting paid for it, but that's another lawsuit). I started seeing these little gold tracers in my eyes and passing out at the register, just couldn't figure it out. Hell, I worked for Walmart, I had no medical insurance, and barely any money. So I soldiered on.

After the third time passing out in as many days, I asked the Front End Supervisor if I could sit on a stool (we had a Debbie Cake lover that got one, without a doc's excuse even). I was told I'd need a doctor's excuse. So I went to the free clinic, they barely looked at me, and gave me a piece of paper. Not acceptable. The person that signed it wasn't a "doctor". So I stood. And passed out some more.

I then asked for LESS hours. I had girls that wanted to trade shifts with me so they'd get more. No problem, right? Nope, FES wouldn't let us swap. I tried to get out of inventory because I lived over 30 min drive away. That was a no go. I needed to do my "fair share."

Finally, one night, they kept us til 2 am. I barely got home alive. I seriously don't remember the drive. I was scheduled to work at 730 am that next morning. When I got home, hubby had to CARRY me into the house, I was so tired, I didn't even change my clothes, brush my teeth or shower. Just rolled into bed. Four hours later, hubby wakes me up. "Are you going to work?"

Me: I don't know.
H: I want you to call in.
Me: I don't have any sick days.
H: How about I don't allow you to go?
Me: Gimme the phone.

So, I called FES (who had to start at the same time I did that morning, but had conveniently got to go home at 10pm the night before, and who lived 2 blocks away from the store). I told him I wanted to call in sick. "You don't have any sick days." /sigh Can I have a stool at the register? No. Can I have less hours? No.

"Fine, I quit."
"Oh, so this is your two weeks notice?"
"No, you frikkin dipshit, I quit NOW."

$88 a week in unemployment.....geesh, but at least I got it. Looking back now, if I knew then what I know now, I'd have had them by the balls. I later found out I had pre-eclampsia (sp?) and was put on strict bedrest while the hubby was lucky enough to get a job with Frito-Lay. I never got better, and after my son was born, found out that the reason my mom was crying in the hallway was not because my mom's a worry wart, it was because neither I or my son was expected to make it together.

Here's a heartfelt Fuck To Wallyworld.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I was wondering if Wal-Mart does direct deposit. We'd like to get his paycheck deposited into his bank on payday since he won't be around next week. I don't think Personnel will be open until Monday, and because I'm anxious . . . I'd like to know now!

I'm pretty sure they do direct deposit. However, your BF may have to fill out a form authorizing his store to deposit his checks into the account of his choice, and it might not take effect until the paycheck after this one.

At least that's how it works by me. If I were to want direct deposit, I would have to fill out that form, and it would have to go up to the corporate office, since the paychecks come from the GO.

Actually, I have the form in front of me, and if I were to want my check to go into my savings account, I'd have to fill in the transit routing number from my bank. If I wanted it to be deposited into my checking account, I would have to attach a voided check to the form so HR would have the account information. I mention this only because authorizing direct deposit is not something you can just do on the fly.

BTW, have a nice time you two!

[BookstoreEscapee]

BN has an HR number you can call and you can set up direct deposit over the phone, just put in your ID and your routing and account numbers. If they have that system it might be quicker than sending a form (plus no one else has access to your voided check), but I know at BN it still doesn't go into effect until the next pay period. Best bet is to call HR and see how it works.

[powerboy]

When I was working at Walmart, I was pushing carts for 9 hr days. Hardly was able to take my lunch or breaks, because I would be the only one to get the carts, since the other employees didn't want too. I once felt that I was going to faint. So I went and sat down, and got into a lot of trouble, because of it. Hell I was working out in the sun for 9 hrs aday with out any breaks. Ofcourse I am going to faint, if not die.

[booger]

I never take rude customers personally. They can call me every name in the book and tell me I am stupid and how I should do my job, and I don't care. Because I know that they are just plain rude, and in general, I am way smarter than any customer who talks to me like that. I have no patience for idiots, so I just blink and play dumb while they rant and rave so they'll go away quicker.

[ShockQueen]

zzapp....I feel bad about the predicament you were put into, and am BOILING MAD that WM put you through such hell, and had NO care about it either!

They were like that ALL the time - never wanting to give accurate breaks and/or lunches, were always late getting the outlying departments coverage, and the usual thing was to pull everyone off the floor to run registers, THEN keep everyone for ungodly amounts of time after the store closed because "well, how did our store get so trashed?" Gee geniuses......figure it out!

I am so glad I am away from that evil empire! Granted, they are usually the cheapest place in town for groceries, but anything else, if I can find it for as good of a deal if not better, then I take my business elsewhere.

They..........just..........don't..........CARE! The dream DIED with Sam Walton!

[Jester]

All these people talking about not getting breaks, etc., reminded me of when I worked at Denny's. I BELIEVE I have told this story elsewhere, so if I am repeating myself (a bad habit of mine that drives RW nuts), I apologize.

Anyway, back around 1993 or so I worked for Denny's. Not a great job, but it helped me get back on my feet and out of my parents' house, where I had been forced to live for six months. Anyway, in our particular Denny's, we had a break area in the back where you could sit and eat, smoke, have a drink (no, not THAT kind of drink, more's the pity), read the paper, etc.

So one day, as we are rather busy, I come to a point where my section is pretty cool. So I decide to take a short break. I sit down in the break area with a Sprite and pick up the sports page for a short read. Right about this point, my GM comes along.

GM: "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
JESTER [not looking up, continuing to read the paper]: "Taking a Sprite break."
GM: "Taking a what? What are you talking about? Get back out there!"
JESTER: [now looking up and fixing my GM with the patented steely gaze that teenage boys involved with my teenage nieces have since learned to fear]: "You allow smoke breaks, right?"
GM [a smoker]: "Yeah. So?"
JESTER: "I don't smoke. And I'm not about to fucking start just to get a break. My section is fine, I am taking a Sprite break."
GM [pausing, apparently seeing the word "lawsuit" go through his mind]: "Your section is fine?"
JESTER [going back to the sports page]: "Naturally. It's me."
GM: "Okay then." [wanders off]

I never heard a peep from him again about my occasional Sprite break...which I took far less of than the smokers took smoke breaks, I might add.


By the way, while I have nothing against smokers (many of my friends and various girls I have dated, including my ex-fiancee, have been smokers), I have absolutely ZERO sympathy for smokers and their smoke breaks. Cigarettes aren't food, they aren't liquid refreshment, they aren't necessary. They are a vice. An addiction, certainly, but a vice. The fact that they get their precious smoke breaks (constantly) and I can't have even a single beer break during my shift? In my eyes, utter bullshit. I am not a doctor, I don't operate heavy machinery, and frankly, one beer isn't going to phase me at all. So I am sorry, my smoking colleagues, while I sympathize with your plight on the front lines of customer service, that sympathy ends when it comes to your nicotine fix. Convince management to let me have the occasional frosty pint, and I will be far more in tune with you and your need for your smokey treats. [/rant]

Cheers!

[Sandman]

HAD they made me stay there for the "required" time, it could have been much worse.

Does Wal mart not think of that?
!

It would have been considered workers comp. since their decision caused a major medical suitation.