Wal-Mart to use Scheduling-Optimization

[33girl]

As I discovered in my unfortunate 2-week foray back into retail after 15 years, most places do utilize an "on call" system. Where I was, I could call no earlier than 2 hours beforehand - in other words, I had to put my life on hold to MAYBE work that night - and whether or not you came into work depended a LOT on the individual outlook of whoever the manager on duty was that night. (i.e., some believe in extra coverage, some believe in bare bones-ing it) It was a pain in the ass, but I can understand it. They get penalized if their sales and payroll aren't at a certain ratio.

However, I was a part-time worker. This sounds like it's going to be used for EVERYONE, including those who have Walmart as their one and only job and are considered full-time, which is just not cool at all.

[Kevin]

It's a business decision. While I may not like what it does to some folks who depend on second jobs to support their families, I think the individual workers are more-less at fault for working where they work.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by 33girl

As I discovered in my unfortunate 2-week foray back into retail after 15 years, most places do utilize an "on call" system. Where I was, I could call no earlier than 2 hours beforehand - in other words, I had to put my life on hold to MAYBE work that night - and whether or not you came into work depended a LOT on the individual outlook of whoever the manager on duty was that night. (i.e., some believe in extra coverage, some believe in bare bones-ing it) It was a pain in the ass, but I can understand it. They get penalized if their sales and payroll aren't at a certain ratio.

You're right, some version of this already exists in many stores, particularly mall stores. It's not as complex as this, because Walmart is much bigger, but it's a practice that has been done for a long time. It's smart business. Walmart is just doing a much more advanced version. Having too many people on schedule when the store is dead results in a loss of profit. Having too few people on schedule when it is busy results in loss of sales and cranky customers. This program seems to be able to account for any factor you can think of.

It's not an employer's job to work around their employees' lives. Sure, there are some things that a good employer would do- work around medical appointments, etc. But employees in all walks of life and in all salary levels have to work their lives around their jobs.

[KSigkid]

I don't see a problem with this, and if any of Wal-Mart's workers have a problem, they should seek other employment. This scheduling system isn't anything new, and they really have to do what's best for their business. Now workers know the system, and if they'd like to seek other employment with more convenient hours, they can do so.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

I don't see a problem with this, and if any of Wal-Mart's workers have a problem, they should seek other employment. This scheduling system isn't anything new, and they really have to do what's best for their business. Now workers know the system, and if they'd like to seek other employment with more convenient hours, they can do so.

Spoken like someone who's never had Walmart decimate his town and basically eliminate any other retail outlet that might have "more convenient hours."

Not to mention, a lot of the people working there don't exactly have PhDs.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Spoken like someone who's never had Walmart decimate his town and basically eliminate any other retail outlet that might have "more convenient hours."

Not to mention, a lot of the people working there don't exactly have PhDs.

Whose fault is it that Wal-Mart workers are not qualified to work elsewhere? Wal-Mart's? Nope.

These employees could be making great money right now as plumbers, electricians, college degrees, etc. Instead, for whatever reason, they thought that retail was their career of choice.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Kevin

These employees could be making great money right now as plumbers, electricians, college degrees, etc. Instead, for whatever reason, they thought that retail was their career of choice.

Not everyone is cut out for college or trades. As big of goobers as we have working here at the plumbing company, there are definitely less-skilled people that work at WalMart. (I realize that not everyone who works there is unskilled, but there are many who are).

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Spoken like someone who's never had Walmart decimate his town and basically eliminate any other retail outlet that might have "more convenient hours."

I hate crap like this. Objectively, I understand the concept of business practices and making money, yada yada. That said, on a personal level, I find Walmart evil and symbolic of all that is bad in our society. I would never even consider shopping there in a million years, and I wish so many Americans weren't so fixated on saving a few dollars that they're willing to shop somewhere that operates as Walmart does. Here I go being a hippie again, but I'd rather pay higher prices for things than support Walmart, and it's beyond me why more people don't feel the same way.

[Drolefille]

Walmart only "decimates" a town because people shop there. If a city really wanted to keep them away they'd simply boycott and not give in to the lure of lower prices.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Walmart only "decimates" a town because people shop there. If a city really wanted to keep them away they'd simply boycott and not give in to the lure of lower prices.

I said the same thing when Walmart came to my town, but then again I didn't have to feed a family on near poverty wages. For them, the price is everything. The sick thing is, Walmart reduces prices, drives everything out of business, and then puts their prices back up. People are finally getting wise to it, but it's taken a long time.

And Kevin - college degrees, plumbers' school, electricians' school (even if you do internships) COST MONEY. Which many of Walmart's employees simply DO NOT HAVE.

Don't misunderstand - from a MONETARY point of view, I completely understand why they're doing this. My best friend is a retail manager and this is the kind of stuff that keeps her up at nights - did we go over budget? did we make plan? Is my job on the line because we didn't have enough sales to match our hours? It is the right MONETARY decision. But for a company that's taken so many PR black eyes lately and keeps saying that they care about their employees, it's a really stupid, not to mention uncaring thing to do.

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by 33girl

And Kevin - college degrees, plumbers' school, electricians' school (even if you do internships) COST MONEY. Which many of Walmart's employees simply DO NOT HAVE.

Well, that's their fault! If they were born into poverty and never got an education and don't know how to succeed and make money, it's their fault!

(LOL that's not my argument, but I'm guessing it's what Kevin would say.)

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

The sick thing is, Walmart reduces prices, drives everything out of business, and then puts their prices back up.

No, Wal-Mart doesn't drive the competition out of business -- Wal-Mart's customers do. (And in my experience, they usually aren't driving the locally-owned mom and pops out of business, they're driving other discount chains out of business.) The customers have a choice -- shop Wal-Mart or shop the other stores -- and quite a few of them choose Wal-Mart.

I can't stand Wal-Mart -- I'll go everywhere else possible before I go into their over-crowded, messy stores. Still, I get so tired of the Wal-Mart is the devil incarnate attitude. But if it is the devil incarnate, it only succeeds because too many people give in to the devil's temptation.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I said the same thing when Walmart came to my town, but then again I didn't have to feed a family on near poverty wages. For them, the price is everything. The sick thing is, Walmart reduces prices, drives everything out of business, and then puts their prices back up. People are finally getting wise to it, but it's taken a long time.

And Kevin - college degrees, plumbers' school, electricians' school (even if you do internships) COST MONEY. Which many of Walmart's employees simply DO NOT HAVE.

Don't misunderstand - from a MONETARY point of view, I completely understand why they're doing this. My best friend is a retail manager and this is the kind of stuff that keeps her up at nights - did we go over budget? did we make plan? Is my job on the line because we didn't have enough sales to match our hours? It is the right MONETARY decision. But for a company that's taken so many PR black eyes lately and keeps saying that they care about their employees, it's a really stupid, not to mention uncaring thing to do.

I will agree, from the PR point of view (at least to the public), this doesn't look good. However, I'll also say that, if someone wants to go into plumbing or be an electrician, school isn't necessary. They can hook up with someone in the area and learn on the job. I realize it's not the easiest thing to do (my dad is a contractor who learned those skills on the job), but it's an option for people who wish to make more money and have more secure employment.

I think I'm just coming from a biased position on this whole, larger issue, of self-improvement, etc. My family didn't have much money, and I worked full-time (2 jobs senior year) to pay for undergrad (KSigRC can attest to this), and am currently working full time to pay for law school (evenings). It's not necessarily relevant to the present conversation, but it's the reason why I tend to side the way I do in situations like this. I think there are opportunities out there for people to better themselves, although I'm also fully aware that it's difficult for many in these situations to do so.

To back up what MysticCat is saying, it's happening right now in my hometown (as I noted). People are flocking to the WalMart, and slowly businesses in the area are starting to close down. Customers are ignoring the local places, and that's not WalMart's fault.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Spoken like someone who's never had Walmart decimate his town and basically eliminate any other retail outlet that might have "more convenient hours."

Not to mention, a lot of the people working there don't exactly have PhDs.

Actually, that's incorrect, as it's happening right now to my hometown. I admit I was a bit harsh in the post, harsher than I meant to be when I posted. As you noted earlier, it's a real pain in the neck for those involved, but I can understand (from their point of view) why they would want to go to the system. I can also see where WalMart workers would think it was unfair.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Spoken like someone who's never had Walmart decimate his town and basically eliminate any other retail outlet that might have "more convenient hours."

Not to mention, a lot of the people working there don't exactly have PhDs.

This is completely irrelevant to the argument.

Saying they'll schedule more people on Friday nights than Monday afternoons is not the same as saying "you're f-ed for childcare" and I'm not sure why we're taking it to that extent.

Wal-Mart symbolizes a LOT of problems with micro-level capitalism, but this simply doesn't seem to be one of them. We're "hippy-ing" up this thread (thanks for the term, Val!) when the conversation is really much simpler.