Thursday, September 14, 2006

Wal-Mart Store Managers Steal Minutes - Get Bonuses

The testimony of this person is certainly an eye opener.

``If we have a manager who is able to capture one minute a week, 52 minutes a year, from 300 associates in his or her store, he would add to his bonus something around $1,300," Landy told jurors in state court. ``If he was able to capture one hour a week, his bonus would be enhanced by $82,000 for the average manager."
At least someone at Wal-Mart is making a good salary. Too bad it's done by stealing unpaid time from employees.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

And what's also unfortunate is THAT WAL-MART SUPPORTERS DON'T BELIEVE ANY OF THIS. One supporter
told me that these are ISOLATED INCIDENTS, and another said "that
CAN'T POSSIBLY be true" and walked away.

Someone in USA said...

There's only one problem with this. Bonuses are contingent on keeping costs low (and profits high), but that does not mean Bentonville directed managers to cheat hourlies. The bonus system makes it profitable for the unscrupulous individual to do this, but by no means encourages it. Quite the contrary, it is explicit that management is not to do this. Do not confuse the actions of dishonest people with those of Wal-Mart itself.

Anonymous said...

someone in usa: do you really believe that?

Someone in USA said...

I am fairly confident that no one instructed managers to do these things or offered them rewards. Unfortunately, the system lent itself to stealing from associates for your own good, but that's different than instructing or rewarding illegal activities. Then there are probably those managers who used it to avoid Bentonville's pressure to make their numbers. Either way, I don't think you can say Wal-Mart schemed to do this, and there certainly isn't any proof.

One critic suggested that Wal-Mart is responsible because it created the system that provided the opportunity (I encountered this at the Writing on the Wal). I liken this argument to saying that if you leave your car parked on the street, then it is your fault if it is stolen because you gave them the opportunity. Then I ask how you would evaluate a manager if not by profits. That's not to say that Wal-Mart isn't liable for its managers' actions, but it removes the idea that the act was malicious.

Finally, do I think the higher-ups knew? Possibly. It wouldn't surprise me if at least some did and turned a blind eye to it.

Did I cover everything?

Anonymous said...

I WORK AT A WALMART AND OUR MANAGER JUST GOT FIRED!!! WHY ? WE DON'T KNOW BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE DO NOT GET ANY BONUSES! DID SHE HAVE SOMETHING TO WITH THAT?? MAYBE! I THINK THEY NEED TO START FRESH WITH ALL MGT. TEAM!!! THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ANYWAY!!! JUST US LITTLE PEEONS!!

Anonymous said...

I work at Walmart and our store brags it is the best in the district and has the numbers to back that up. Our quarterly bonus is only $101.00. If we are best in the district; why is our bonus so low? Other stores who have had low numbers and problems are getting a bonus of $800.00. How can this be? Is it up to each store manager how much the bonus is? This does not make since to me.