“Everyone is coming sick. We have no choice.”
If this doesn’t get a conversation started, I’m turning in my Walmart blogging merit badge. From my friends at the National Labor Committee:
Punishing workers for taking sick leave puts Wal-Mart on track to be a major spreader of swine flu this fall. The retail giant gives workers demerits and deducts pay for staying home when they are sick or to care for a sick child.
In interviews with Wal-Mart “associates” at stores across New York State, employees confirmed that they had no choice but to work sick. One Wal-Mart employee from a supercenter explained: “Plenty of girls are coughing their brains out. But they cannot go home because of points. Everyone comes in sick. You cant stay home and God forbid if you leave early.” “Associates” –including food handlers working in the grocery, meat and even deli departments—are routinely coming to work with the flu, conjunctivitis, fevers, strep throat, diarrhea and vomiting. It is only when an employee is coughing too loudly and violently that he or she will be transferred from the food section to another department, where the sick worker will still be interacting with customers.
I particularly like this part because it highlights Walmart’s priorities so beatifully:
On October 1, 2009, Ken Senser, a senior vice-President for Wal-Mart distributed a memo nation-wide on “Flu Season Preparation” to all Wal-Mart associates. Wal-Mart associates were told to “cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze,” “wash your hands regularly,” and “avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.”
Not a single word was said about the critical CDC recommendation that workers with “any signs of fever and other signs of influenza-like illness…stay home if they are ill.” Instead, Mr. Senser goes on to instruct all “associates” to: “familiarize yourself with relevant company policies including those for attendance, sick pay and return to work following an illness.”
But it is Wal-Marts policies on sick leave that are the problem.
I may have to go back on post more on this when I have time to finish the report. In the meantime, talk amongst yourselves.
Walmart does *not* deduct from your pay for staying home. Period.
I don’t know what you are talking about?Walmart deducts from your payand the point thing? We are allowed three absents in six months.Any and all excuses are grouped together,sick,personal,emergancy.If you take a sick day,you can stay out for three days and it is counted as one.After three days you must go LOA.When you go LOA, you do not accure benefits such as,vacation time or profit sharing.This may be what they are refering to as deducting from your pay.People are forced to come to work sick if they have two absenances already.Three strikes and then A “D” day.next step bye bye.
You cannot deduct from something you don’t have. Or, in this case, haven’t yet earned.
[...] turns out that Ken Senser, the guy who issued the original attendance policy memo that led to the NLC report, is the guy who runs Walmart’s spy ring! From the Wake-Up Wal-Mart [...]