Wal-Mart's Sick Leave Policy Puts Workers at Risk for Spreading H1N1

[RamboLiberal]

During an influenza pandemic, all sick people should stay home and away from the workplace, hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes should be encouraged, and routine cleaning of commonly touched surfaces should be performed regularly.

But Walmart has, according to the NLC's report, "routinely flouted" the CDC's recommendations. The NLC says that:

A Wal-Mart associate told us, “Wal-Mart won't even look at a doctors note. If you are out sick, youre going to get a demerit and lose eight hours wages.”

In fact, when the NLC interviewed Walmart associates across New York State, employees said:

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.

http://ufcw.blogspot.com/2009/11/wal-marts-sick-leave-policy-puts.html

[Brickbat]

1. Wal-Mart is ass, anyway. But I've been annoyed at the calls from politicians who encourage parents

to keep children home for a week, and who encourage schools to shut down if it gets too bad, but who then say little or nothing to employers about being willing to be flexible about sick leave this year for those parents who have to keep kids at home or employees who are sick more days than usual this year. Employers shouldn't have to be told, of course, but I've been singularly unimpressed at how business is treating this year's flu season.

ETA: My point being that most businesses are doing their part to spread the flu around this year.

[snagglepuss]

5. +1

[joeybee12]

2. I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago and I can verify there were people

hacking their brains out. I was wondering why they had showed up for work.

[Bitwit1234]

19. And they aren't the only business doing this

A lot of business say the same thing. If you don't come to work even if you do have a doctor's certificate it is counted against you and marked down at evaluation time.

I worked for a state agency. And I had cancer. Taking off work for appointments, during the run up to surgery and after surgery I accumulated quite a few sick occurrences. I was asked what I could do to alleviate this problem...I told the questioner, I'll just have to try not to get cancer again. I think I shut her up.

[tonysam]

3. Well, as long as ten or twenty people are in line to take these workers' jobs,

Wal-Mart can afford to treat its workers like shit.

[47of74]

4. That's why I don't shop at Wally World anymore

Because they treat people like shit.

[elocs]

6. Walmart is certainly not the only business with this attitude.

Millions of working poor live on the edge and they cannot casually take a day off if they are sick. To do so possibly means losing their jobs or at best, not eating the next day.

Only those who are safe in their jobs and have benefits for sick days can so simply advise people to stay home if they are sick. They should try recognizing the real world in which millions have to live.

[joeybee12]

7. Those of us with real jobs forget there are so many jobs that don't offer

any benefits whatsoever, like time off for sick time or even holiday pay.

[cbdo2007]

9. Even those of us with "real jobs" are often encouraged to work when sick.

[joeybee12]

10. I meant to quote my "real jobs" also...

...lots of big companies are fearful of lawsuits so they have policies about being sure you're not a risk to others when sick...of course, that doesn't always filter down to the managers who can be pains in the ass about this.

[Barack_America]

8. And Wal-Mart leaves Medicaid to pick up the tab when their workers get sick.

Just a fantastic company, one that contributes so much to our society.

:puke:

[juno jones]

11. It's true in other food enviroments as well.

One of my last jobs was so tightly scheduled that there was no 'pickup', no free person you could really go to to if an employee was too sick to work. The republican bosses at that place just 'joked' that no one was ever sick at THAT restaurant. They 'joked' about a lot of things. Like having me work seven days a week. But they weren't really joking. you could see it in their eyes.

[Razoor]

12. speaking from experience

I work at walmart unfortunately because there is nothing else around my area since walmart ran everyone off. The sick policy is really crappy. every absence counts as a point and three absences count as a point and you can only get 3 points before you get written up or as walmart calls it "coached". and oh you if you leave early due to sickness counts too. I really hate walmart and I never support walmart is about but I need a job untill the economy recovers. Walmart really treats its employees like shit. its all about greed and how much money they can soak up.

[juno jones]

13. I am sorry.

I don't know your background or predilictions, but may I suggest the food biz. It pays the same or more, and even the corporate places (like TGIF)are better than wal-mart.


PS, long-term cook here. Dropped out of the crazyness awhile back.

[dana_b]

15. I'm sorry

that they treat you like this. I've been in retail and restaurants and can say that I know how that is although I do beieve that WalMart is in their own damn class.

Wash those hands, take vitamins c & d and remember that your health is everything! WalMart is not (although it may seem that way now).

[dana_b]

14. ridiculous

I know that some people have nowhere else to shop or it's all they can afford but, for those who aren't in this group, we should REALLY think about not shopping there. They don't give a damn about their employees OR their customers.

Union! Union! Union!!

[surrealAmerican]

16. Shouldn't this be more than a CDC recommendation?

Do the state health codes address the issue, at least where food handling is involved?

[Kievan Rus]

17. Another reason not to shop at Wally World

The stores are dirty to begin with, and now management doesn't care if its workers are spreading the hinnie flu.

[udbcrzy2]

18. They make you take a leave of absence

When I worked there, they made you take a leave of absence if your
illness was more than 3-days. Weird. And you do not qualify for
any sick days until the 2nd day. Wal-mart & Target (retailers) just
suck as employers.