Wal-Mart to Add Wage Caps and Part-Timers

[Defensor Fidei]

Wal-Mart to Add Wage Caps and Part-Timers

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest private employer, is pushing to create a cheaper, more flexible work force by capping wages, using more part-time workers and scheduling more workers on nights and weekends.

Wal-Mart executives say they have embraced new policies for a large number of their 1.3 million workers to better serve their customers, especially at busy shopping times — and point out that competitors like Sears and Target have made some of these moves, too.

But some Wal-Mart workers say the changes are further reducing their already modest incomes and putting a serious strain on their child-rearing and personal lives. Current and former Wal-Mart workers say some managers have insisted that they make themselves available around the clock, and assert that the company is making changes with an eye to forcing out longtime higher-wage workers to make way for lower-wage part-time employees.

 

[Silent Enigma]

Sounds like typical wal-mart. It's another one of those situations where if corporations don't manage themselves, the govt eventually will have to step in and do it for them.

 

[Chuck_Darwin]

I think wage caps are a good idea for upper management. Although I doubt that is what they had in mind.

 

[Grunt]

Looks like they took an idea from UPS's playbook. Have PT'ers do most of your work and pay them crap because..... hey, they're part-time.

 

[WalksWithChrist]

Lots of companies are taking this route nowadays. It's really sad that you can't even get a full-time job at Wal-Mart.

 

[fanatiquefou]

And so people end up working three part-time jobs with awful wages and no benefits, just to make ends meet. (And many times, the ends DON'T meet, despite the long work weeks)

 

[ZACTAK]

Wal-Mart has been talking about this for years! I am a former employee and they did want to try and make us available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. For some of us, they hired us knowing we were high school or college students and they still wanted us to be available at all hours.

Buut, with that said, if its not illegal, I see nothing wrong with what they are doing. If a person doesn't like what Wal-Mart is doing, find a different place to work.