Wal-Mart Making Employees Work Even When Sick

[Marti from Michigan]

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/SwineFluNews/wal...

Pathetic!!

[Big O]

Good business practices. Don't like the rules, quit. Plenty more illegals to fill the void . . and they never get sick and always show up for work.

[Old Rocker]

I hate to defend Walmart because I'm not crazy about many of their business practices...but,

Attendance policies such as Walmart's are in place in many companies. The idea is to reduce abuse of sick leave, not terminate people for getting sick. In Walmart's case they begin discipline after 4 absences in 6 months. The question is, how many of those 4 absences was the employee actually sick and how many times did the employee simply take a day off and call in sick.

FMLA will not allow a company to penalize an employee for taking time off to care for a sick family member. They don't have to pay the employee but they cannot discipline the employee either.

In my opinion 4 absences in six months is plenty unless you have an underlying health problem which you should discus with your employer. That's once every six weeks. In my experience, a person who has an attendance problem has other on the job problems as well.

[TheBodhiZaffa]

Punishment for not staying healthy? Rewards for not being healthy?

Sounds like Obama's healthcare plan.

[Lucy in Rockford]

Not much different from any work place these days, really.

[SueT]

I think the employees are the least of the problem.

www.holytaco.com/25-sexiest-people-walmart ·

[Spanksock]

Last time I was at Wal-mart all the employees looked sick and non of them were working!

[Thewayiseeit]

Bring a box of tissue and some Tylenol to work or go to the hospital! Show a little dedication to the folks that provide you with that paycheck. And if that paycheck isn't big enough to suit you, staying home with a cold won't make it any bigger!

[Allende]

I haven't shopped at a Walmart for four and a half years. They sell stuff made in sweatshops, abuse their employees, underpay their employees, etc.

But most of all, I boycott Walmart because when they move to a small town, within a couple of years they have destroyed the downtown business district and put locally owned family businesses out of business.

[Ms Angie]

Old Rocker wrote:

I hate to defend Walmart because I'm not crazy about many of their business practices...but,
Attendance policies such as Walmart's are in place in many companies. The idea is to reduce abuse of sick leave, not terminate people for getting sick. In Walmart's case they begin discipline after 4 absences in 6 months. The question is, how many of those 4 absences was the employee actually sick and how many times did the employee simply take a day off and call in sick.
FMLA will not allow a company to penalize an employee for taking time off to care for a sick family member. They don't have to pay the employee but they cannot discipline the employee either.
In my opinion 4 absences in six months is plenty unless you have an underlying health problem which you should discus with your employer. That's once every six weeks. In my experience, a person who has an attendance problem has other on the job problems as well.

I agree, 4 absences in six months is ridiculous. I've worked for the company I'm employed by for 5 years, I have taken one sick day my entire time here. I'm not saying I expect everyone to be the same, but honestly, 4 sick days in six months? That's more than excessive.

[Gentle Taz]

Allende wrote:

I haven't shopped at a Walmart for four and a half years. They sell stuff made in sweatshops, abuse their employees, underpay their employees, etc.
But most of all, I boycott Walmart because when they move to a small town, within a couple of years they have destroyed the downtown business district and put locally owned family businesses out of business.

Meijer beat Wal Mart to it many years ago here in Holland long before Wal Mart built a store here.

[Jim B]

Remind me not to shop there. It is not worth exposing my family to illness.

[strong woman]

Haha:

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

[sassysandy050]

Jim B wrote:

Remind me not to shop there. It is not worth exposing my family to illness.

Then keep your family home and don't go out in public. Oh wait, do you go to work? Better not do that either since you might bring something home to them....that's how silly that statement about not shopping at Walmart is. Shop there or don't that's your choice, but good grief, you can catch the flu and cold bug anywhere you go!

[Go Blue]

Meijers is just not as destructive to the local economy as Walmart.....Grand Haven has had a big Meijers for years without undo pressure on local merchants.....always loved Meijers, but avoid Walmart....

[Gentle Taz]

Go Blue wrote:

Meijers is just not as destructive to the local economy as Walmart.....Grand Haven has had a big Meijers for years without undo pressure on local merchants.....always loved Meijers, but avoid Walmart....

When Meijer first built a store in Holland, many who had been going to the Meijer store in Jenison were shopping in Holland because the prices in Holland were lower than the Jenison Meijer. A few years later, the Holland and Jenison stores were pricing their wares the same. By then the majority of the mom and pop groceries in Holland had been closed. In many cases, Meijer was selling merchandise at prices below what the small local store could buy it wholesale. That was long before Wal Mart had any stores in the area.

[Go Blue]

Whenever i think of alot of the small grocers in the neighborhoods and small towns, they were most all poorly stocked and overpriced. They were all unique and fascinating. They were just handy and friendly, and we were alot younger and have a tendency to treasure anything from those times. It was structured for the less mobile and it was probably due to our societal changes, that grocery retailing changed with us.....The decision for all americans is...How much chinese stuff can you stomach? Perhaps a new chain of stores called, Yankee made, or the like.....

[_Dingo]

Go Blue wrote:

Whenever i think of alot of the small grocers in the neighborhoods and small towns, they were most all poorly stocked and overpriced. They were all unique and fascinating. They were just handy and friendly, and we were alot younger and have a tendency to treasure anything from those times. It was structured for the less mobile and it was probably due to our societal changes, that grocery retailing changed with us.....The decision for all americans is...How much chinese stuff can you stomach? Perhaps a new chain of stores called, Yankee made, or the like.....

I agree with you, Go Blue. We'll pay more to shop at local-owned stores and restaurants as much as possible. I'll still hit some of the local-owned hardware places over Menards and Lowe's whenever possible too, even though they are usually understocked and overpriced.

I'd shop at the local "Yankee-Made Store" :) Sign me up for the mailer!

[Arctic49519]

Wal-Mart is one of the best advertisements for the need of unions.

Their despicable business practices and poor treatment of workers are legendary.

[Batch 37 Pain Is Good]

Heck, I work sick if it just a cold.