The Gang of Five
Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => The Fridge => Topic started by: pokeplayer984 on May 24, 2009, 02:02:55 AM
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Okay, it's obvious we all have some issues with Walmart. Let's get them off our chest, shall we?
I'll start with the fact that I work there and am able to keep a clear enough mind to understand what is really going on back there. For their employees, it's worse then you think.
First off, even though they SAY they give you control of your schedule when you're a full-time employee, it is actually quite limited. True you get vacation time, but only so little. I have worked my butt off for 4 years and I only get 2 weeks worth of vacation time. On top of this, I'm forced to work on Sundays when my religion encourages me NOT to work Sundays. Also, they say that if they give me Sundays off, I get shifted to PART TIME, which doesn't work for me. It would mean a loss of benefits and other things, and I just can't have that.
For some of my fellow workers, it's worse. Favorites are being played in some cases. Some workers request days off and never get them, yet others do, who really don't need them. There was a recent issue that I heard from a fellow employee that she had requested the day of her son's graduation off for quite a few weeks. When the schedule came up, guess what? She doesn't have it off. So now she is going to miss one of the most important days of her son's life and she feels like the worst mother in the world because of a b**** of an employer who just hates her.
We do have a policy called "Open Door" to resolve such issues, but when the Store Manager just can't see you because of your schedule being at night and his being at day, or vice versa, it becomes a problem.
Also, it hasn't helped that there's no music anymore. We stress out a lot over this job. We need something to help relax ourselves for crying out loud!
And the latest system changes has hurt both the associate and the customer. From now on we have to register items in and out of the back. It doesn't help because of the fact that we are limited the device necessary to do this job. As such, there are times we can't help the customer like we can, just because we have the item in the back, but can't register it out, because we don't have the device with us.
Finally, the last issue I will point out is the fact that they have no longer allowed us to call employees to other departments by overhead. Walkies were assigned to employees to resolve this issue, but not everyone got one. I became one of those unfortunates, and so I can't call someone over like I used to when a customer needs it the most.
Oh, and forget about asking them to buy more, they have to buy the things by the box and each one costs thousands of store dollars to get, so each box costs them in the millions. Not worth it.
Well, I'm done for now, but I've only touched the tip of the iceburg of how bad it is for us employees. I've got a lot more.
When it comes down to it, Walmart was really the worst choice for me to work at, and they suckered me in with better benefits and a higher paycheck. How can you not say no to that when you're desperate for a job like I was? :(
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Entire books have been written about Walmart because it's so bad. I'll try not to write a book out of this topic.
Walmart totally sucks. I hope their business goes down the f****** toilet. I really do (though I'd be sorry for you if you lost your job Pokeplayer. :p ). I'd rather sell my soul to the Devil then work at Walmart.
Do you have any idea what their markup is? If they get an item for $.15 (fifteen cents), they sell it for $40 or more! On top of that, they absolutely refuse to go down on their prices. I'll give you an example. At the Walmart by me, there's a 6gb (six gigabyte) external hard drive! It originally came out like 8 years ago and it sold for $119. Guess how much it is right now? It's on SUPER SALE for $89! I wouldn't pay $1 for it.
The way they can get away with treating their employees sickens me. They pay so little and then tell their employees that they can get 10% off if they buy stuff from Walmart since they're an employee. And Walmart acts like they're doing their employees a favor. :anger That's just bull shit. What they're doing is trying to pay their employees less. Think about it. If you buy $100 worth of stuff from them, you only pay $90. But how much did they pay for the stuff you bought? Probably around $1-$2. So in reality, instead of them paying you $900 that month, they saved themselves about $89! So in reality they paid you $811 for that month.
I don't buy anything from Walmart. It's a piece of shit store. Their stuff never goes on sale and they're just narcissistic bastards that aren't being regulated. Target on the other hand is great. If their stuff has been on the shelves for awhile and not selling as fast as they want it to, they'll put it on sale for really cheap. One example was this one time I got these 512mb flash drives for only $4 each. See, they bought these flash drives, but the design really sucked and they were a little more than the other 512mb drives they sold. So what does Target do about this? They knock the price down from $25 down to $15. It still doesn't sell to well so they knock them down to $4. And they don't wait 5 years to knock the price down. If it's been on the shelves for a few weeks and hasn't sold too well they'll put it on sale. And if they knock it down once and it still doesn't sell well, within a few days they knock it down again until it sells. I got a 750gb external hard drive for $30 from them once because it was a really bad design and didn't stand up too good. I just took it out of the case and put it inside a computer. :lol
But anyways, back to Walmart. Have you ever tasted their food? It sucks! It's like they get the factory rejects. On top of that, it expires like 5 minutes after you leave the store. And most of their stuff is more expensive than it is at the grocery store. Once I had to let an employee know that there was a gallon of milk on the shelf that was over a week old. Yeah, A WEEK OLD!!! Their clothes totally suck too. Shirts pill up and don't survive being washed 5 times. Gee, I'm glad I got that shirt for like $2 less than it would have been at the GAP. :rolleyes:
Their bathrooms SUCK. That's all I'm going to say about that.
They always have some sort of guy/gal at the front checking bags who is like.....I'm sorry to say this but they always seem to have some sort of mental condition. I'm all for providing jobs for the mentally and physically disabled/challenged, but make them a greeter, not someone who has to check your returns please! They really don't even have the mental capacity to do that.
Walmart is an all-around shitty store. I'm sorry but that's the only word that can describe it. I will personally NEVER shop there in my life. I can't wait till they go down the toilet and are replaced with someone who has good business practices.
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Okay, now I'm going to go into the Paycheck deal.
Within the four years I've worked at Wal*mart, my paycheck has gone from $8.60 per hour to $10.00 per hour. However, if we look at a few particular things, we realize it should be higher.
According to the law, there is a minimum one must pay an employee per hour, which goes up $.70 each year.
Now, if we go by that standard, and believe that each employee should go up $.70 per year if they remain loyal to everything, it shows that my paycheck should be $12.10 per hour. (Given the fact that I've gone through 5 increases within the time.)
The fact is that the most an associate can increase their paycheck is $.50 per hour, and that's when one goes beyond expectations, and that's hard to meet. I've only met the expectations each year, which means only a $.40 per hour increase in the end. (Not to mention got a $.20 loss because of the fact that I switched areas at one point and neglected to look at the pay standards of the area before making the decision.)
Now think about those that are payed minimum wage right at the start. They would easily fall below the amount required, which would mean they would be working less than what they should in only a few years. This is law breaking by all standards.
The minimum one should go up is $.70 per hour. Bottom line! It's just wrong for your increase to be $.30 to $.50 per hour each year.
It doesn't stop there. Despite the fact that they give you benefits, the proceeds come out of your paycheck, so you are payed less in the end. Let's do the math again, shall we?
Considering the fact that I am payed $10.00 per hour, and work 37 hours per week normally, (had to cut them on Sunday just and so that I can go to church.) I should be making $370.00 per week, meaning $740.00 per paycheck under normal standards, since you are payed biweekly. However, after benefits cuts, it drops to $260.00 per week, meaning $520.00 per paycheck.
It's obvious that they are making you pay for the benefits and not the company itself, and they say they are paying for it when you start.
They are even breaking law when it comes to paychecks. How does one get away with all this? I thought our justice system was better than this.
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My stand on Walmart is this: I go there for shopping reasons only. Despite what I've heard about Walmart, I do enjoy going there and buying stuff. My family has been going there for years and we aren't about to stop just because of what some people say about it. We've been satisfied with their products and haven't had an issue. It is from Walmart that I've got most of my electronic stuff, namely the DVDs, games, CDs, and Wii points cards.
I don't let what people say about Walmart change my mind about shopping there. I don't see a reason to let it bother me. So long as the products work for me, I'm still going there. So please don't try to change my mind about Walmart. My mind's made up already.
With the financial issues my family is in, we cannot afford to spare too much money, so Walmart is one of our best bets. As of now, K-Mart is closer but we hate shopping there because everything seems to be, like, twice the price at Walmart. Why should we spend so much on an item at K-Mart when we can go to Walmart and get the same thing for less? Because of this, when dad whenever shops, he never goes to K-Mart; he either goes to Walmart, Giant, or Mallard Market, all of which are back in the old town we used to live in, about 15 minutes away. The only places to shop close by here are K-Mart and Path-Mark, both of which are very expensive in comparison to Giant, Mallard Market, and Walmart.
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I can¥t say much about it, we don¥t have a Walmart here in germany. Or we do, but it has another name.
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Depending on where you live, there is no other place relatively close than WalMart. If you have no choice, then WalMart is your saviour unless you want to drive thirty miles to somewhere else. Some just don't have a choice but to support the company despite shady business practices.
I for one, avoid WalMart whenever possible. Here's the issue though--just because of where I live--kinda in the middle of nowhere--if I need a certain item, my only chance of finding the said item at a decent price is at Wally World--and that's twenty miles from me. I could drive thirty miles to hit Target if I wanted, but what would be the point of that because their business model looks like Wally World. If you're going to slam WalMart, you need to slam every other big-box store out there--they're all the same! They could not be competitive in the price-wars if they couldn't cut labor hours.
Its a double-edged sword for most consumers - spend more at a smaller store (if one is there) for an item, or spend less at WalMart? Is the item quality much different? In most cases, no, it came from somewhere overseas unless it was handmade close by, and in which case, you'd be paying a lot more. Most who shop at Wally World couldn't necessarily afford such a cost, so we have a vicious cycle here. You don't earn enough to buy somewhere else, so you have to eat out of the hand that offers the goods for less...the model we hate. You have a choice, but you need to survive as well.
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Despite that, I haven't changed my mind about Walmart. I still plan on shopping there.
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I can't say, because Walmart doesn't exist in Sweden.
However, I have heard nothing but bad things about it.
Some years ago, there was a program on TV called "Bullshit", and at one time they were focusing on Walmart. I remember myself lauging, because some things about Walmart were absolutley ridiculous!
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Despite that, I haven't changed my mind about Walmart. I still plan on shopping there.
I think no one here wants to change your mind Kacie. It¥s just the opinion of the others ;-) If you like shopping there, then no one will bar you from going to Walmart.
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From the way he worded the first part of his message, I thought Petrie was addressing me. Sorry. ^^;
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Meh, I've never liked Wal-Mart much, I usually shop at Target, it;s much cleaner. Sure, they restock what I'm looking for a lot and they have cheaper prices, but hey have, say fifteen registers, only about three are occupied by a cashier, and the lines are so long. Also, it's basically a warehouse and there's litter everywhere. Definetly not as good as Target, but at least it smells better than K-Mart.
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I live close to 2 Walmarts, and yes I will shop there on occasion. Given the choice of big box "superstores" , I'd choose Target or Meijer. Both have better track records Re: customers and employees (I worked at both), and both have what Walmart so sadly lacks: Class.
My sister insists Walmart is reaping the benefits of the recession, hoping hard times last longer. Less $$$ in consumers' pockets means more will flock to Walmart, thus more profit for "Wally World". Do I smell a conspiracy? :blink:
I only shop there when I absolutely have to, like when I need crochet thread or yarn. Otherwise, I can pass it by. Their produce and meats suck big time. Don't get their clothes, especially those Faded Glory socks. I have circulation issues, and Wally World's socks are the bane of my existence. Why do they have a thin elastic band...in the cuff??!! Stupid stupid! :mad Get thee to Target!
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From the way he worded the first part of his message, I thought Petrie was addressing me. Sorry. ^^;
Nope; actually I didn't address anyone. Some people really have no choice but to shop at WalMart depending on where they live. There's just no other stores that can offer what they do.
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Okay, now I'm going to talk about the security of Walmart.
Do I even need to elaborate here? Products are stolen every day from Walmart. I estimate from my store alone we lose over 100 items per day from theft alone. It gets even worse by the number of products customers open daily just to look at them. We don't have the "you break/open it, you bought it" policy, so we lose whatever is opened or broken by the customer.
Our security system is crap. Thieves can easily steal anything from us. You know those security cameras on top? They're just for show. So we don't have a security system. Period.
If we do spot a thief, we can't hold them, call 911 or anything. The managers are the only ones allowed to call 911. We aren't allowed to hold them off like we should. All we can do is walk up to them and hint to them that we know we're on to them. They can still bolt and get away with the item.
Weren't we taught as kids that theft is wrong? So why aren't we allowed to stop them? I'm sure a number of customers would be glad to see us doing what's right.
Fact is, this makes Walmart look like an accomplice to whatever thieves walk into the store. It actually gives me one more reason to want to leave this job.
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As far as I know, practically every store in existance has a "don't chase after shoplifters" policy. This is to protect the safety of the workers. It shows that the business is more concerned about protecting their employees than protecting their products. To be fair, this is probably to prevent lawsuits but nevertheless, that policy exists for your safety, not to aid shoplifters.
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I live by two Wal-Marts and me and my family go to either one. The first one is the standard one that everyone sees everyday and the other one is this.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Walmart_NMK3.jpg
Note: The Wal-Mart that is pictured is the one that I got to everyday when needed.
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If you're going to slam WalMart, you need to slam every other big-box store out there--they're all the same!
I'm sorry but I strongly object to this statement. Walmart strategically goes into towns with tons of small businesses and wipes them all out. If they can get a good enough stronghold, they can be the only store in town and prevent their competitors from gaining ground in that area. Talk about despicable! They screw people who only make enough to live a border-line comfortable life in order to increase their enormous pocketbook that is so large they could plop in into the ocean and call it the 8th continent. :anger
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Uhhh.....Guys chill, before this gets a little out of hand.
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Uhhh.....Guys chill, before this gets a little out of hand.
My anger isn't directed at any member here, but at Walmart. We're just engaging in the discussion of our opinions and trying to support them with facts. It's healthy. I haven't talked about Walmart for quite some time.
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I live in a small town and one problem we have here is that there is nowhere else to buy some of the things Walmart sells in town, or at least not at the price and the selection that is to be desired.
So overall i'm quite neutral on the subject of Walmart - but i don't go there unless its the only place to go for what I need.
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Austin I don't get your point. Other big box retailers like Best Buy, Target, Big Lots, all do the same thing...offering stuff for far less than smaller stores often can. Same business practice as WalMart and their employee payments are probably minimum wage, just like WalMart. All big box places play the same game in hopes of attracting your business, that is why if you're going to go after one, you need to go after the big box store mentality. WalMart is the biggest target, but they aren't the only guilty party in this game.
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There are a lot of not-so-nice things that 99% of big businesses do, but Target doesn't intentionally move into a town to shut down everything else there and crush small businesses. Walmart plays dirty and that's why I can't stand them. It's true that Walmart and other large businesses do a lot of the same nasty things such as cut wages and pay their employees next to nothing, but Walmart plays things differently and much more dirty than other large businesses. How about encouraging their employees to "use their taxpayers dollars" to get health insurance instead of providing them with it like they're LEGALLY required to do.
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Uhhh.....Guys chill, before this gets a little out of hand.
My anger isn't directed at any member here, but at Walmart. We're just engaging in the discussion of our opinions and trying to support them with facts. It's healthy. I haven't talked about Walmart for quite some time.
I know just want to make sure everyone doesn't cross the line here. I'd hate to see this thread closed.
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I don't really like Wal-Mart, but acknowledge its power; it employs over 2 million people, is expanding to other countries, has over $400 billion in revenue (this may have changed since last I checked), and easily blows its nearest competition out of the water.
The main problems with its low prices are that they exploit their workers, and encourage very low wages for workers abroad who contract with it to make their goods.
They also offer so low wages and so few benefits that their workers put a burden on the U.S. welfare system...
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My opinion of Walmart is quite low, regarding its empolyee practices and tactics and its refusal to allows its workers to unionize.. with that said, we go there a lot for video games and food.. I wish we wouldn't..
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Has anyone else ever seen "The high cost of low prices"?
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Has anyone else ever seen "The high cost of low prices"?
I just watched it on Google Video.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925 (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3836296181471292925)
And even with what I knew, the video will definitely make a change, even if it's a small one, on what you think of Wal*Mart after watching it.
Tomorrow, I'll tell you guys a little secret of mine with Wal*Mart. One I've never told anyone before, and no one knows about.
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Tomorrow, I'll tell you guys a little secret of mine with Wal*Mart. One I've never told anyone before, and no one knows about.
I bet I know it. I'm a master at the dark arts of deceptive business practices. I suspect Walmart of doing a few things, but I haven't seen any solid evidence of it. They hide their trails well. But I'm pretty sure they're involved in this activity. I'd rather not talk of it though. You can get in big trouble for this stuff.
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I don't think that much of Walmart myself...Then again, I work at a competitor. I have friends that work there, and they seem to like it better than their experiences at the Superstore...Not sure why from what I hear from others. Personally, I won't work there or shop there - Superstore's a little bit closer for me(If I was permitted, I can walk there, though I wouldn't want to walk back with my purchases), plus higher end wages and it being a union shop(for the work part). Even with union dues, I generally don't lose more than ~$50 a check in deductions (average for me = $450ish per check with two 25 hour weeks per check).
One of the prime things that I note, from what I hear, is the time that they leave some things on the shelves - Take their French bread, for example. Our district specialist (I work in the bakery department) took a trip through the local Walmart and discovered that they dated theirs for three days, and their baguettes for five days (maybe the numbers are reversed, but it's something like that). This is for a product that sits in an open paper bag...that sort of thing should not be on the shelf for more than a day, else it ends up rock hard (I'm a closer, so I see this quite often). For us, anything in an open/perforated bag (mainly our baguettes and crusty breads) is thrown out at the end of the day. Most of our baked product is dated for two days, with a few exceptions for some of the specialty breads. I end up scanning out ~$150 of stuff every night I work...
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Austin, Target does not give their minimum wage part timers health benefits...I can guarantee you that, and they'll have to do the same that WalMart employees do...some sort of taxpayer insurance program. Walmart is dirty, I'll agree with you, but all big box places do the same thing. What you want to see is less big-box and more small-town stores, but even Mom'n'Pop can't probably afford to pay more than minimum wage with no benefits. Retail is not something you can work in and expect big bucks and the world handed to you.
Has anyone else ever seen "The high cost of low prices"?
Yes I have watched this. True, competition is brutal to those who cannot match WalMart's price for the same good. If possible they should offer something Walmart won't sell or cannot sell. You don't have to be in direct competition with Wally World.
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Okay guys, time for you to know.
Now, some of you may or may not know the fact that many Walmart facilities are in the process of going green. Basically, selling energy efficient and more all natural products. Now, while I am all for going green, one thing is that they forgot to grasp the whole situation of doing so in the end. You see, Walmart also decided to disconnect themselves to coal and other greenhouse gas facilities that help power them.
This became a serious problem not long after it was decided. Because of the lack of more natural facilities that can power a place (i.e. wind, solar and water) that many Walmart superstores are built at, we have to cut down on one important thing that will be needed when summer hits. That one thing is simple Air Conditioning.
The end result? Many people suffering from dehydration and heat stroke when they are inside a Walmart superstore. A serious health risk that won't help us at all.
Look, I'm all for going green. I love the idea, but you shouldn't go to such a grand scale if you don't have the means and resources to do so. Start small and go to a certain part when you have the means and resources. That should be the main plan.
Now, what does this thing of going green have to do with me? Well, here's the deal...
For the longest time of my career at Walmart, my mind has been producing a plan of a way to take over and make the place better for everyone. I am not even thinking over how to make it all happen. My mind seems to produce the idea completely naturally as I look at certain people and things.
I have already selected who can help me and ways to make it all happen to the point that I can launch it any day now. So, why don't I do so? Here's the issue at hand...
While my mind has already selected who would be able to help make this goal possible, it has also pointed out who would not support me and make the plan fail in the end. I have found that they can be swayed to one side by the way you talk or who talks to them.
Now, since I don't have such experience in the way of how to talk to such people, I have to settle on the WHO more. Some of the people my mind has selected are of the "higher ups" in the store I work. So they'd be able to talk to those people in my place.
One of the people my mind has selected to help me is my store's current Store Manager. My bald-headed, African American friend of a Store Manager is actually a good guy in all this. He is not for all you see in that video. He hates the idea of people not getting proper benefits, Walmart Superstores shutting down other places, and a number of other things that all of us are hating about Walmart. However, since he has no power in certain areas, he can't do anything about it, unless things are presented properly.
The plan is to fix all of the problems in Walmart and bring back it's good name that it once had. Walmart once meant something good for everyone, and it still can. It is not completely evil, just certain people that run it are.
The plan can work, but everything in the plan isn't ready yet. Unless everything is planned and done exactly right and at the right time, it will all come crashing down.
I'll only share this, perfecting the going green thing will be able to sky rocket the plan and make it succeed in the end.
That's all I have to say on the matter.
So, I'll see ya later! :)
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I don't want to enter too much into this debate as we don't have wallmart over here (though some of our small prize stors have a serious scandal going about spying into their employees private lives etc.). But as for this:
The end result? Many people suffering from dehydration and heat stroke when they are inside a Walmart superstore. A serious health risk that won't help us at all.
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but did not mankind last for quite a while until at last air conditioning was invented?
Air conditioners are one of the worst existing producers of greenhouse gases and moreover one we are least dependent of.
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I agree with Malte. Air conditioning, as much as I do like it, is not a vital part of our life. There are alternate means of cooling down.
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Despite I like going to Wal-Mart there is one that has serious problems. It's kind of hard to explain it, but all I can tell you that my brother worked their and even though he has since gotten a new job he doesn't go there at all.
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While air conditioning is indeed artificial and can pollute, it must be noted that the conditions inside some of these stores are also unnaturally hot; they are basically gigantic boxes which aren't that well ventilated, and there are bright lights on all the time.
Now, I know that Germany isn't exactly a hot country... but some parts of the US certainly are, especially the South (and Hawaii.) I can see why air conditioning would be a good thing in Georgia, Texas, or Florida.
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And still Georgia, Texas, or Florida and even countries which are significantly hotter than any spot in the US (some of which do not show a significant number of airconditioned facilities themselves) were settled well before anyone ever thought of such a thing as airconditioning. There are certainly hotter places than Germany but we fave frequently temperatures well over 30? C (86? Fahrenheit) over long periods during the summer months. In 2003 we even had temperatures about 40? C (104? Fahrenheit). Average temperatures are increasing all around the world and one of the many factors to contribute to this are airconditioners and the excessive amount of greenhouse gasses they produce. Including openable skylights into the roof of large store buildings and windows along the walls along with moderate ventilation to allow the exchange of air without the excessive output of full scale airconditioning are steps that might help to prevent much larger places in the world to develop conditions in which people feel they would be much more comfortable with airconditioners (with a significant portion of those places which are hot now becoming uninhabitable altogether).
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A change in how the buildings are made could help reduce the amount of heat. I have heard of an idea this one guy had that involved creating buildings with organic roofs covered in grass. Naturally, areas covered in plants are cooler than urban areas. So a building with a grassy roof will be cooler than a traditional skyscraper.
Here's a clip about it: http://science.discovery.com/video/ecopoli...leId=3242231001 (http://science.discovery.com/video/ecopolis.html?playerId=3230426001&titleId=3242231001)
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The big-box stores (like Wal-Mart) make the heat problem worse rather than better. Yes, people live in the Sahara and in tropical lands, of course... but, they generally don't have to put up with working in a place which makes the heat worse, and they don't have to work under constantly-shining lights. Wal-Marts aren't really ventilated well...
I know that Wal-Mart tried to gain a foothold in Germany and South Korea, but both ventures have failed. Still, they will likely keep expanding until... well, I don't know until when.
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I have heard of an idea this one guy had that involved creating buildings with organic roofs covered in grass. Naturally, areas covered in plants are cooler than urban areas. So a building with a grassy roof will be cooler than a traditional skyscraper.
And it works :yes
There are such stores over here which use earth and grass as a cover for their roofs and it makes a good isolation material protecting the interior of the store from too much heat from direct solar radiation in the summer while preventing the warmth from heating from escaping easily through the roof in winter. Souterrain rooms (such as the one I live in) are based on a similar principle (with the difference of the isolation based on surrounding earth being along the walls rather than on the roof).
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I've also heard about refrigerators that use sound to cool items. Not sure if it'll become a big thing or not, but it won't create nearly as much pollution as traditional refrigerators and would last longer, from what I heard. This new refrigeration method could also be used to replace traditional air conditioning as well. I like the idea, although it may be costly at first.
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The only things I've ever gotten from Walmart are video games and BRAND NAME electronics. Their clothes are disgusting and don't even get me going on their food.
That said, I rarely go to them as the nearest one to me is over 30 minutes drive (Target - about 10 minutes).
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Don't even get me started on Wal Mart, as many horror stories as I've heard . Not only are they capitalists who wipe out small businesses and practice mass production, but they bring in almost all their goods from China (Lord knows if sweatshops are being used ) 'cuz they'd rather be cheapskates than use American goods (which would provide more jobs for Americans in these times). On top of that, they think they're the government or some other high power! Where do I get that impression? Just the other day, one of my favorite groups, Green Day, spoke out against Wal Mart's censorship policy. Basically, if a recording artist does not provide a censored version of their album, Wal Mart will not sell it. Funny enough, this album focuses on the loss of American society's innocence. Is capitalism somewhere in there? Should be. BTW, the album is still selling like hotcakes despites Wal Mart's noninvolvement. Guess products can still thrive without Wal Mart . Anyhoo, it's just wrong that Corporate Embezzlement Offenders even have so much power and money. Sheesh, when they start thinking they're President or something, then it's really going too far ! I totally understand and agree with your argument, Landbeforetimelover.
I pretty much made my stand clear in PokePlayer's "Youtube" thread, in addition to the corporation being SO quilty of employee discrimination, unlawful wages, hiring illegal immigrants, and unsafe stocking practices. Back in, I believe it was 2005, a toddler was crushed and killed by a heavy boxed item that was not quite pushed back all the way on top of the aisle shelf :cry. I've since gotten into the habit of looking up BEFORE entering an aisle, especially at Wal-Mart. And yeah, I have seen items dangerously close to falling off the tops of the shelves, including a big-screen TV. I'd feel sorry for whoever got smashed by something like that :(. It's about time the government went in and cleaned Wal-Mart's act up. Then again, money talks :anger.
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I've since gotten into the habit of looking up BEFORE entering an aisle, especially at Wal-Mart.
That's good advice for us all. I'd hate to be killed by a TV. That would be some interesting eulogy.
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I'm actually more concerned about what Wal-mart is doing to wages; they employ over 2 million people, including over 1 million Americans; that has GOT to have a negative impact on salaries.
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I am upset today because of what the Co-Manager said at a meeting today.
I remember some weeks back, that there was going to be a change in pay increase. With the potential to get an added $1.10 per hour for your paycheck every year, it seemed things were looking up. However, that all changed with the announcement of today.
It is now only up to $0.60 pay increase each year. I can understand the economy being bad in America right now, but it shouldn't give any reason whatsoever to change the pay increase.
It's less than what the minimum wage rate increases each year. That is wrong in every way.
It's just wrong. :(
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Is that even legal? I thought that minimum wage or more was mandatory.
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Gee...you guys got it bad over there in the US with Walmart employees they need to stop there foolishness.
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I agree, but am not sure how to fix this.
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I used to work for Best Buy. while they aren't as low as WalMart, they still engage is some shady stuff.
being there for a year, i saw the corruption that seeps through. they have recently made some big changes that make it nearly impossible to get full time, and they have removed the majority of supervisor and management positions - reason? less costs for the company.
they pay slightly over minimum wage. i worked in California and the minimum there is $8.00, and i was on $9.50.
i worked in sales, and all they wanted me to do was attach "services" to every item i sold.
services being stuff from their Geek Squad, which imo, most arent worth the money. and their own protection plans - called Black Tie Protection.
and i was not on commission, which gave me almost no incentive to offer these services as the only one profiting from it is the company.
the people in the higher ranks, managers etc, were nice guys, but driven by their own agenda, such as to make as much money as they can for the company.
markup on their items is huge too. LBTLover will probably get a kick out of this :p.
they have a pack of 2 2GB RAM sticks, DDR2 PC6400, they sell it in store and on their site for $150!! i could get the exact same thing off Newegg.com for 44 bucks!
its kinda sad really, that huge companies like Walmart, BBY etc turn out this way. maybe the reason Circuit City went under is cus they actually tried to do things right by their employees and customers.
anyway, rant about Best Buy over :)
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I believe that Wal-Mart is dragging down retail standards with its extremely low wages and prices... but in a system of supply and demand, the consumers will naturally gravitate to the lower prices...
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Alright guys! Time for my latest gripe.
Within the last few months sales at the Walmart I work have not been impressive. As such, we only made our profit goal, but not our sales goal in the spring 3-month term. As such, we got one of the lowest bonuses yet... only up to $36. (How much an employee gets out of that amount depends on their hours.)
Now, due to these problems there had to be a severe cut in hours for the summer 3-month term. This led to me being put on what they call a scorecard, meaning I work the hours they say. This wouldn't be such a bad thing if it weren't for the fact that there's only so few hours available now.
My manager is doing her best to put me in as many places as possible to get me as many hours as possible, but the severe lack of hours available is just making things bad. Starting Saturday, for the next two weeks, I'll only be working 2 days a week, resulting in only 16 hours per week.
THIS is a huge problem. Under regulation rules, a full-time employee like myself needs to average a minimum of 35 hours per week. (Remember, it's average, so going under once in a while when you usually work more isn't a bad thing.) When their average goes under the required 35 hours, they become part-time and lose their benefits.
I've worked too hard for them to be pushed into part-time like this. Loosing my benefits now would not be a good thing as I have a little tooth problem to fix. (Got chipped. Need a filling.)
There are those that get exceptions, yes, but I'm not sure I'd be one to qualify for such a thing.
Sure it's nice that I have all this time off, but it's going to hurt me budget-wise this month.
There's little I can do about this, and I'm just upset at it. :(
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i dont know how Warmart goes about it, but in Best Buy, full timers are guaranteed at least 32 hours a week. i dont think they can be given less than that without the employee actually wanting to go part time. the only way they can get less if they take vacation hours i think.
to my knowledge, an hour cut like what you're getting is against the law as you are full time status and have alot more rights that part timers usually dont have.
i would look into it a bit further and try to find proof that you're entitled to an average of 35 hours a week. maybe its on walmart's intranet or something, if they have one. cus thats just out of order to be honest.
normally the hours would be pulled from part timers. that does suck for them, but theres a reason you are full time; you do your job well and perform above the manager's expectations, and have earned the position you're in. dont let people take that away from you.
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its kinda sad really, that huge companies like Walmart, BBY etc turn out this way. maybe the reason Circuit City went under is cus they actually tried to do things right by their employees and customers.
Nope, Circuit City pulled the same string...inexperienced to replace the managers and those who had been there longer to save money.
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its kinda sad really, that huge companies like Walmart, BBY etc turn out this way. maybe the reason Circuit City went under is cus they actually tried to do things right by their employees and customers.
Nope, Circuit City pulled the same string...inexperienced to replace the managers and those who had been there longer to save money.
Which is a completely stupid move in the long run. It's the basic instinct you need to ignore if you want a business to stay successful during hard times. Which is the case these days.
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Circuit city tried to be the "Wal-Mart" of electronics, only to discover that selling a product as sophisticated as that requires more skill and effort than selling a bunch of mostly inexpensive goods at extra-low costs.
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Why does everyone think that Circuit City was cheap? It was just as expensive as Best Buy and I'm glad it went down the toilet. It wasn't a very good store.
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I never said it was cheap; all I said was that the staff there were no better trained or motivated than the staff at Wal-Mart... and those people aren't so well trained or motivated... which is okay if you are selling DVDs and Chinese-made skillets, but not if you are selling high-end TVs and Laptops.
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You may consider me lucky, because i never heard of Walmart. :)
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I guess that they don't have Wal-mart in Russia... not now, anyway. I'm sure that, in time, it will find its way there, too. Maybe...
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My biggest complaints about *shopping* at wal-mart have to be
1) The stores are boring to look around in. The stock rarely changes. :p
2) Most of the staff, at least here, has trouble speaking English. They seem to hire mostly those with ethnic backgrounds who haven't developed very fluent English. The result is that asking a question to the majority of wal-mart staff here is easier said than done! :bang
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2) Most of the staff, at least here, has trouble speaking English. They seem to hire mostly those with ethnic backgrounds who haven't developed very fluent English. The result is that asking a question to the majority of wal-mart staff here is easier said than done! :bang
For the Walmart I work at, all of the staff can speak fluent English, but most of the customers we get don't. You have no idea how often I have to find someone who can understand them.
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We don't have Wal-Marts here in New York City, although I have seen them on trips to other parts of the country. I know that it is probably only a matter of time before a Wal-Mart opens up in NYC... and it will be so busy when it opens...
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Where would a Walmart fit in NYC? Walmarts are made for the suburbs with lots of space.
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Okay, it's been getting irritating lately and enough's enough!
I have been unable to meet with my manager and talk with her about getting more hours penned in for the next two weeks and today and tomorrow are the last days I can talk to her about it all.
Here's the bottom line deal though. If I am unable to get the substantial hours for whatever reason, even if it is a "budget" problem, that I am meant to work as a full-time associate, I am hereby quitting my job with Walmart.
Now, let's face the fact. This isn't a rash decision. Basically, I'm not getting what I am entitled to as a full-time associate and I won't stand for it. It is law breaking in every way and I don't want to be a part of a company that is breaking the law.
Even if it comes to the fact that I do quit, I'm ready for it. I actually have found a few job opportunities that I want to try out if bad comes to worse. So if I do quit, I've got something ready, and who knows? I might actually get something better.
So wish me luck on both ends because this could be it. I could be out of Walmart for good. -_-
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pokeplayer984, good luck! Keep us informed on how it's going.
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I wish you the best of luck John. While I am unaware of your situation, job opportunities do not mean you have a paid job and an income....I had a lot of opportunities last year that didn't pan out, so I'm hoping that's been factored in on your situation.
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Well, I was able to talk with her. Here's the deal:
There's nothing she can do about the next few weeks, so it will be rough for the time being. However, she is looking into the one main area where hours are readily available, Cashiering. So here's hoping with that.
Now, this won't make me move into part-time for a reason. The way it's done at Walmart is that the hours you work for a 3-month term are recorded, and if you worked more weeks with full-time hours then part-time, you stay full-time and keep your benefits. So I have to make sure I get more full-time hours, or things could get worse for me. Right now, I have a total of... *does the math* 6 weeks worth of full-time hours for this 3-month term. So I just need one more week of full-time and I'll be fine.
Still, I feel it's best to look into those job opportunities through my off days just to be safe. See if they offer me anything better. Here's hoping. :)
I've got a substantial amount of savings for this rough time. So if things really get bad, I'll be ready for some time.
For now, see ya later! :)
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Is it just my area, or do other members here have issues regarding the quality of customer service at their local Walmart? Mine's pretty bad :rolleyes:.
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The service at the few Wal-Marts I've ever been to was pretty bad... the staff was clearly not motivated... although the place was totally bright and clean... I will give them that.
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Now that you mentioned that I forgot to say one more thing. Every Wal-Mart I walk into is always clean including the bathrooms.
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Now that you mentioned that I forgot to say one more thing. Every Wal-Mart I walk into is always clean including the bathrooms.
Go in at just the right time and you'll be disgusted by the toilets. There's quite a few customers who go right ON them. :x
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Now that you mentioned that I forgot to say one more thing. Every Wal-Mart I walk into is always clean including the bathrooms.
Go in at just the right time and you'll be disgusted by the toilets. There's quite a few customers who go right ON them. :x
If people are that afraid to sit their ass down on them, maybe they should find another bathroom....I'm sure a gas station's are cleaner... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
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Now that you mentioned that I forgot to say one more thing. Every Wal-Mart I walk into is always clean including the bathrooms.
Go in at just the right time and you'll be disgusted by the toilets. There's quite a few customers who go right ON them. :x
I've gone in a Wal-Mart in the morning, at noon, and afternoon, and night and some how the bathrooms are still cleaned
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I've gone in a Wal-Mart in the morning, at noon, and afternoon, and night and some how the bathrooms are still cleaned
I agree, Wal-Mart bathrooms are cleaner than a lot of gas station bathrooms. Granted, I've been there at around 2200 or 2300 (late evening).
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Now that you mentioned that I forgot to say one more thing. Every Wal-Mart I walk into is always clean including the bathrooms.
Go in at just the right time and you'll be disgusted by the toilets. There's quite a few customers who go right ON them. :x
I've gone in a Wal-Mart in the morning, at noon, and afternoon, and night and some how the bathrooms are still cleaned
Well, mine has this problem. The ones YOU go to may not.
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Not all Wal-Marts are the same; most are just "Wal-marts" some are "supercenters", some are "discount stores", others are "neighborhood markets." Sam's club is part of the same company, too. Perhaps some kinds of Walmarts are better cleaned than others...
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I'm very upset with my job. With last week, this week and the next two included, I have a total of 4 weeks worth of part-time. If the last of the weeks of July are part-time as well, I can kiss my benefits goodbye!
I'm not going out like this. I'm not! I've worked there for 4 years and I'm not about to go out like this.
I'll have to visit with the Store Manager on an off day and talk with him. There's hardly any other time I can really do it.
I'll be using everything I've learned with something called "The Law" to beat the system and the policy. We'll see who wins in the end. :D
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I wish you all the best... really. Wal-Mart, like some other large corporations, can be a real b!+*# somtimes... I am sure that you have rightness on your side, though. If things work well, the law should be on your side too...
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Well guys, there's some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that I FINALLY get my full-time hours back in exactly 2 weeks.
The bad news is that I ONLY got it because a few of the workers in my area quit. They were of the more experienced workers, meaning more pay and such. So them quitting is the only reason I have them back now.
At least I got them back. So, looks like I won't be needing to quit after all.
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I'm glad it worked out for you. I hope it continued to work out and in time you get a better job then what you have now, good luck.
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Ugh! My job is pushing me to my breaking point. One thing they don't seem to be getting is that if you want to stay in business, you have to satisfy not just the customer, but also the employee!
What's wrong? Here's the deal.
I can tell that they are making STUPID moves when it comes to getting the items out for customers. Bottom line, we need to sell our merchandise, period. If you can get the items out quickly, you can sell them easily. When you can't, it creates a problem.
I've already discussed the problem with the back room, but in case you've forgotten...
We have to basically use a hand-held machine and register items out of the back room. I don't understand why we have to do this. We should just be able to take an item box right off the back room shelf that needs to be stocked, carry it out to the floor, open the box, fill the space and throw away the box.
That's what we used to do and it worked just fine. So why do we have to register it out now. There's absolutely NO reason for abandoning this old way and doing something worse instead.
The thing that seriously makes it worse is the fact that not everyone got a hand-held machine. We were definitely not ready to make such a move. If you aren't fully capable to make such a change, you shouldn't make it. Bottom line!
Anyways, a new problem that has emerged is with returned items. There's always a reason the customer wants to return an item and get a refund or make an exchange. For those that are still in perfect, sell-able condition, we take them from the return counter and put them back on the shelf.
Thing is, we used to be able to get them out of the bins behind the return counter. Now, we have to wait until a manager checks them in. Why?
I mean, seriously. You think an employee is dumb enough to not be able to tell if something is still in sell-able condition? Is there an issue going on that I'm not aware of? What's the problem?
Regardless of the reason though, there's no excuse for this. It's not worth it to keep a customer waiting for a sell-able item to be stocked as soon as possible.
There were certain people that have left due to Wal*Mart just not keeping them financially stable anymore. They really couldn't keep their home just because they couldn't pay the bills, and I cared about them.
I'm sorry, but I can't be a part of this anymore. I'm finding myself another job, and when I do, I'm out. Screw this place! It's just not worth it anymore.
It can go out of business now for all I care. I've had enough. :(
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How's the progress been on work, Pokeplayer? You still with walmart for now?
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I must admit that I recently bought a really nice 22" Acer monitor from Walmart. It's great and all but I wish I didn't have to get it from there. :( The quality is amazing even though it's 16:10.
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My family shops there for random (canned and bagged) food that's just cheaper than anywhere else. We just figure why not and the wal-marts around here usually aren't too stupidly busy unless you go at peak times.
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Now I have a real predicament here. The thing is that my family is planning to take a trip to Yellowstone National Park in one month. There is a problem, though. I can't go.
You see, every year Walmart has this thing called an inventory month. During this month, NOT A SINGLE EMPLOYEE can take a vacation. I can understand this rule. They need every single employee possible to make sure everything's stocked and filled.
Unfortunately, this is when my family is taking the vacation. Near the end of the month is the planned vacation. A part of me has been hoping to go to Yellowstone and this could be my one chance.
I really want to go, but work won't let me.
I don't know what to do. :(
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Can't help you I'm afraid. You'll have to make a choice...what's more important--the job or your vacation? Can you find another job in the area if WalMart isn't too happy about your choice? If you can't find another job in the area, then losing the one you have isn't exactly...smart.
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Much as I hate to say it... Petrie is right about the Wal-Mart job thing... jobs are scarce in this economy... even though Wal-Mart stinks, losing a job at it would not be a wise thing to do at the moment...
As for the vacation... if it is near the end of the month, you might be able to convince your family to delay the vacation until the start of NEXT month, so you can go...
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As for the vacation... if it is near the end of the month, you might be able to convince your family to delay the vacation until the start of NEXT month, so you can go...
Nope! Plans have already been made. My dad has already set up that week for vacation time. It's hard to change it when it's set up.
Also, you guys know how I feel about my job. If I lost my job it would feel like a wave of relief more than anything else.
Heck, if the place burned down I could care less. That's how much I hate it at this point.
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A lot of my friends can write fake doctor reports when they want to get out of work. :p Computers are so wonderful. :smile
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A lot of my friends can write fake doctor reports when they want to get out of work. :p Computers are so wonderful. :smile
Oh, Walmart has botched that plan with employees. First off, when you're sick, you have to call a number. The whole process, which takes a nice 5 minutes, must be completed at least one hour before your schedule begins, no exceptions.
Second, anything relating to or actually being a doctor's note they check on. So yeah, they'll find out it's a fake.
Simply, you can't forge being sick for an extended period of time. A short illness is all you can really fake in the end.
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You've never seen the main hackernet computer system. :p With access to that system you can make any doctors note seem legit. Unless they find out the REAL number of the doctor's office (if you used a real doctor's name), there's no way they can find out.
The safest way is to use a fake doctors name. That way they can call the number on the doctor slip and the hackernet computer system can answer. Then if they do a search for the doctors name and it doesn't come up, it's just mysteriously "not in their database". :lol
The hackernet computer voice approximation system is so unique you can't tell the difference between the computer and a real person. That's because it works on a new algorithm that is too large to integrate into sub 500gb programs. Needless to say, a program like this can't be stored on a normal computer system. That's why "Microsoft Sam" sounds like a stupid computer. :p
But anyways, it doesn't really matter because you don't have access to that system. I don't even know how to make a fake doctors slip and do all this. I just have friends that do. They assure me that it's "easy as pie". :smile
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I'm not sure what to say, if anything. I don't want to say anything that could indirectly help you lose a job, but it isn't good that you cannot go to Yellowstone either...
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I suggest you either quit and go or keep your job and stay. Those are pretty much your current options. What's more important to you? Your job or a vacation?
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I suggest you either quit and go or keep your job and stay. Those are pretty much your current options. What's more important to you? Your job or a vacation?
Well I'll say this, as much as I hate it, I won't be quitting my job over this. It would just be stupid in the end.
I'll try to work something out, but I doubt I can do anything about it.
I really hate this, but believe me, if I ever quit my job, it won't EVER be over something like this. NEVER!
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Well, I officially hate my job to the core. :P:
I can't go on my vacation. They won't let me. :(
Anyone know a way I can injure myself without the chance of killing myself? :D (Yeah, I'm THAT desperate to go. :P:)
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Yeah, ask your friend to run over your foot with his truck. :p There are plenty of ways to hurt yourself with little chance of being killed. That doesn't mean it's a good idea or will feel very good. :nyah Just live with it and keep your job.
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Yeah, ask your friend to run over your foot with his truck. :p There are plenty of ways to hurt yourself with little chance of being killed. That doesn't mean it's a good idea or will feel very good. :nyah Just live with it and keep your job.
Actually, you'd be surprised how tough my body is. It may not look like it, but I survived getting run over by a car with zero injuries. (Not even a scratch.) Then again, I consider that happening being a miracle out of all things.
Also, I've seen some of the employees at Walmart with broken legs and they STILL have to work. Even those that are paralyzed from the waist down still have to work. They just need a wheelchair. (At least that's what the managers say.) So seriously, if I want medical leave, it'll take something big. Which is why I asked for something that won't kill me in the first place.
Then again, it is stupid, but they really know how to push people to their breaking point. With all it's wrong doings, I'm surprised Walmart is still alive.
So yeah, I won't go and get myself injured. That's just plain stupid. -_-
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Sounds like they are doing like stores and factories use to do in the 19th and earlier centuries.
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I have to take a long and hard look at a few things with my job currently.
With the way it's been scheduling me, I may have to do the one thing that I've never been able to do with my job, and that's quitting it.
You see, because of the current recession that the US nation is going through, we've had to make hour cutbacks. In order to keep me on at full time, my Walmart had to second job me to the Hardware area.
Now, while this is good in the sense that it would give me a chance to expand my skills and show off my talents, thus giving me a chance to excel, it does come with a price.
My first job has me working morning or midday, while my second job has me working evenings. This, at times, forces me to not get much sleep. This especially happens Fridays, where I, most of the time, work until 11pm. I then don't get to bed until after midnight and have to be up by six, since I have to be back to work by 8am. Less than 6 hours of sleep is unhealthy by any standards.
Just for the sake of my health, I may have to quit my job. I hope you guys understand.
I'm going to be taking a long hard look at this over the next few weeks and then make my decision. Either way, things just won't be pretty for me. -_-
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Does it only happen that one day of the week--Fridays? Six hours of sleep one night of the week won't kill you. I used to stay up much later with my bowling job when we worked to 2am a couple of nights. You want little sleep, there you go, and I made it out ok with a couple of five-six hours of sleep a night, once a week. I don't think that will hurt as much as you think.
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Wal-mart, you are at your last chance with me. Why, you ask?
Well, this week and the next two are just terrible with hours. This week has me only working 24 hours for the whole week. The one after that just has my vacation hours, which adds up to only 16 total. Finally, the week after that one is only 8 hours.
THIS IS WRONG!! :angry:
I'm sorry, but if it's not fixed, I'm leaving for good. I've already made my decision on it, and I'm not backing down.
I'm a full time associate! There's NO reason to do this to me. Even these hours are unacceptable.
So, depending on what happens tomorrow, I may or may not be leaving Walmart for good.
Two managers lost my trust by doing this same thing to me. I'm not backing down on the third one. :anger
So, wish me luck guys! This could really be it for me. -_-
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It take a lot of courage to stand up to Wal-Mart. My hat is off to you. Whatever happens, I am sure that you are in the right. :)
:goodluck
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:goodluck Not much else I can add. It'll be your call in the end.
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Well, looks like I'm staying because my schedule got fixed. Well, two of them anyways. I didn't really expect them to fix this week, and I was right. It was too late to fix it, but I at least got them to fix the ones I wanted them to.
So yeah, I still have 24 hours total for this week, but at least I've got the full 40 for the next two.
So, I'm staying. For now. I plan to leave for something better one day. Until then, I work for Walmart. :)
Well, see ya later! :^.^: