On Friday Walmart workers will be waking up early to face masses of Black Friday shoppers.
If you work for Walmart -- one of the most profitable corporations in the world privately owned by one of the richest families in the world -- and get sick, good luck keeping your job.
Right now, if you need to miss a day of work due to illness, even if you have a doctor’s note, there’s nothing stopping a Walmart supervisor from disciplining you -- an “occurrence” in corporate Walmart speak. And you could lose your job.
Nobody deserves to lose their job because they get sick. And every worker deserves paid sick days. Right now, Walmart workers across North America are asking for six -- just six! -- paid sick days. Walmart made $132 billion in pure profit last year. I’d say it can afford it.
Tell Walmart to accept doctors’ notes and give all its workers six sick days a year.
Walmart’s sick leave has never been good -- it’s always operated on the principle that it can maximize profit for the Walton family off the backs of its massive workforce, the largest employer of Blacks and Latinos in the country. But earlier this year it “streamlined” its sick leave policy and lumped vacation days in with days you are literally too sick to work.
Even doctors’ notes -- which can be prohibitively expensive for workers on a Walmart salary -- are too often ignored by Walmart supervisors. In 2014, a pregnant woman fell ill from the harsh chemicals she used cleaning. Her doctor ordered her to stop because repeated use of the chemicals ““could harm her fetus and herself.” She was fired.
No more. Demand Walmart introduces a sick leave policy that affords its workers basic dignity.
The funny thing is, Walmart was in free fall last year -- customers were complaining about empty shelves, filthy washrooms and endless checkout lines. And then because of endless pressure by worker-supported organizations like our allies at OUR Walmart, Walmart capitulated and raised wages. And then, suddenly, stores improved and sales went up. Imagine what could happen if Walmart had a sick leave policy that wasn’t a complete disgrace?
More information
OUR Walmart's Sick Time & PTO Policy Recommendations
OUR Walmart.
OUR Walmart.
Walmart’s Pregnancy Policy May Make You Sick
The Nation. 19 December 2014.
The Nation. 19 December 2014.
How Did Walmart Get Cleaner Stores and Higher Sales? It Paid Its People More
NY Times. 15 October 2016.
NY Times. 15 October 2016.