Drudge Retort: Red Meat for Yellow Dogs

The National Labor Committee published a report Tuesday bashing Walmart's sick leave policy for giving workers demerits and pay deductions when they stay home due to illness or to care for a sick child. "I have to do whatever I have to do to keep my job," said a 33-year-old mother of two who works at Walmart. "You get a cold or you get the fever or whatever, you've got to be there."

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More happy news from wingding nirvana.

Just the free market at work. If she doesn't like the rules she's welcome to go find another job. I'm sure she is highly skilled and has plenty of options, especially in this economy.

And if you are wal-mart customer you should be happy about this because their policy helps make sure they have plenty of people to greet you at the door, keep the shelves stocked and get you checked out fast.
Yeah sure you are more likely to get sick from one of their employees because they can't take off for illness without risk of penalty but who cares about a little communicable disease when you can save 15 cents on a jar of pickles.

You guys never miss an opportunity to put down Walmart. You won't be happy until the SEIU mafia takes over (and if that happens, I won't set foot in a Walmart again).

You guys never miss an opportunity to put down Walmart.

Way to step up to the plate to defend them.

You feel comfortable going into a place of business that encourages through negative reinforcement employees to come in when they or a member of their family is severely ill?

Speaks loads about your concern for family values.

I guess your concern about Walmart profits outweigh the value of their employees families.

You obviously didn't read th ENTIRE ARTICLE. Keep on bashing Walmart.

I thought it was just Walmart customers that were the health hazard in those stores.

You guys never miss an opportunity to put down Walmart.

You don't? That place sucks and I avoid it like the plague.

These emplyees should stink palm their bosses

"That place sucks and I avoid it like the plague."

Apparently you might be avoiding the plague by avoiding Walmart.


You guys never miss an opportunity to put down Walmart. You won't be happy until the SEIU mafia takes over (and if that happens, I won't set foot in a Walmart again).

#3 | Posted by member2586 at 2009


and here is what the elite libs here just dont get

who will be hurt the most if walmart either goes under or has to raise prices

of course..its all the poor people that the dems and libs tell us over and over again that DEMS are the only ones who can truely help the poor.

its the usual unintended consequences that libs just cant help themsleves over.

Oh well.

and if that happens, I won't set foot in a Walmart again).

#3 | Posted by member2586

The chi-coms will miss your money. You and aflac seem to be closet maoists.

Wal Mart is sweet. If people don't like the policies they don't have to work there. This is a black and white issue.

WalMart is a great company to work for for students, retirees, single parents working nights, folks who need a second job. The fact that it's open 24 hours a day means that a whole lot of families can have another source of income.

Still, you guys know best. It's great you're staying away--hard enough to find a decent parking space as it is.

FTA:

Generally speaking, associates can be absent 6 different times -- up to 3 days each time -- over a 6 month period.

This is more than reasonable. I've been sick once in 3 years at my current job. Why would a company want an unreliable person working for them?

I have nothing against Walmart itself, I have something against the economic policies which enabled companies like Walmart to import virtually everything which has destroyed American manufacturing and the middle class. We got a sucker's bargain, we got cheap goods but we also lost good paying jobs. The real benefits of this free trade flowed to cheap labor markets because American corporations wanted their profits and cared nothing about America.

Danni - that's reasonable, but the people who blow things out of proportion (like this story about a company allowing 12 absences a year) make people with reasonable beef's against Wal-Mart look crazy by association.

"We got a sucker's bargain, we got cheap goods but we also lost good paying jobs"


Who bought from them?
Danni, what kind of car do you drive?


We did it to ourselves, someone gave us what we asked for, why is it their fault?

Hmmm part of that is missing.


Danni, what kind of car do you drive? If i am not mistaken it is a mini cooper. You looked for what you wanted, you found it and you bought it. That is the exact mentality that has allowed places like wall mart to flourish. People went looking for lower priced items and found it.

'You guys never miss an opportunity to put down Walmart. You won't be happy until the SEIU mafia takes over (and if that happens, I won't set foot in a Walmart again).'

#3 | Posted by member2586


Wow that is really going to break my heart! Oh my this tool, er ah excuse me member is going to stop shopping at wally world as soon as they start treating their workers like human beings.

SNIFF SNIFF!

Monstman how is expecting them to call in sick 12 times or less in a year dehumanizing them?

What changes would you make if you had the opportunity to be the WalMart HR guru?

"That is the exact mentality that has allowed places like wall mart to flourish. People went looking for lower priced items and found it."

Yeah, and in the process we all destroyed our own economy. That is why we had tariffs throughout almost all of our history, to keep us from thinking that the lowest price is actually the best deal.
Cheap goods don't create demand, wages create demand. If we put cheap goods at the center of our economy, which is exactly what we did, then eventually we won't have the wages to even afford the cheap goods because we aren't creating wealth.
You have to make something to create wealth.

What POS calls in sick with a cold? Jesus christ, people are pussies.

Danni - wages create demand

So the minimum wage should be raised to....?

"Cheap goods don't create demand, wages create demand. If we put cheap goods at the center of our economy, which is exactly what we did, then eventually we won't have the wages to even afford the cheap goods because we aren't creating wealth."


Common danni, you can't really be saying that raising wages will stop people from buying cheap stuff are you? I do not believe that you have no knowledge of inflation.

Look, i believe that we are too dependent of foreign goods too, but i don't think that pricing them out of range of our people is the way to go. Not only do we not have the infrastructure to replace the outsourced manufacturing we don't have the ability to produce many of the products for a price that we can afford. I like most products that are made in the US, you can expect better quality but you will pay substantially more. More US goods do no good if no one can afford them.

we aren't creating wealth."

Oh come on! The recession has ended, GDP is growing while we are laying off people by 500,000 and more a month...now that is efficiency baby!!!

'What POS calls in sick with a cold? Jesus christ, people are pussies.'

#23 | Posted by 101Chairborne


The kind that has a SICK child - they wont LET YOU take the child to school OR to daycare.

If they go to work and leave the child at home they can be charged as criminals.

You are the POS ChairWIMP.

"You get a cold or you get the fever or whatever, you've got to be there."


Monstman,
STFU and read the article, stupid. That way I won't have to remind you of how much smarter I am than you.
Class dismissed, and you're welcome.

'Monstman how is expecting them to call in sick 12 times or less in a year dehumanizing them?

What changes would you make if you had the opportunity to be the WalMart HR guru?'

#21 | Posted by andyuhenet


You get a demerit if you call in sick - EVEN once.

It has to be a PRE APPROVED day off. You are not allowed to call in sick the DAY OF the event.

EVEN if you have a sick time available you STILL get a bad mark on your record. Too many demerits and you are terminated.

HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO PRE ARANGE and schedule a sickness?

This is the same shit many employers have been pulling for years, especially in call centers.
The rationale is they need to make sure they are staffed.

So...Those who show up to work every day shouldn't get preferential treatment. Got it.

Monstman,
Hahahahahahahaha! I kick stupid shits like you around here all of the time. How's that taste, sonny?

Q. What POS calls in sick with a cold?
A. Monstman

Those who show up to work every day shouldn't get preferential treatment. Got it.

LOL! You mean they should get preferential treatment for doing what they are supposed to do, like going in SICK and making the other workers sick.

Monst would you prefer if instead of "demerits" the people that show up every day get a bonus?

That's the same thing, and I think it'd be hard for you to argue against it.

I've worked with sick people before, and I've gone to work sick. It's never been to the point where I had to call in (except once, from food poisoning). 6 years I've never missed a weekend drill. 3 of those years I've worked at my current job part time, only missed one day. While attending school full time - well I've skipped class many times, but not from illness.

'So...Those who show up to work every day shouldn't get preferential treatment. Got it.'

#30 | Posted by andyuhenet


Typical wingdingbat you twist the facts to spew your lies.

I think they already have a preferential treatment that you describe it is called PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARD.

Holy dipshit batman, it is like talking to a brick wall!

Employees are PEOPLE NOT MACHINES. You cannot pre schedule a sickness, ESPECIALLY when it is your child.

We got a bunch of heart of stone conservatives here who dont care if you create workplace rules that defy logic. You love it when you make hoops for the employees that are impossible to jump through.

Angry loners who never HAD a child so cannot come close to comprehending what parents go through to try to hold down a piece of crap job at wally world and raise a child.

Free Market at work MY ASS.

Monst, shouldn't the government then impose labor laws banning these demerits? You believe the free market has failed so your anger should be directed at the government. But it wont be.

Monstman,
What about calling in sick with a cold? You know, like the quote from the article that you were too fucking stupid to comprehend?

Damn, you must feel like a real dumbass, huh?

PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARD.

wow a peice of paper instead of monetary reward for a job well done. What do you call the most competent employee who only shows up 4 out of 5 days (regardless of the reason)? Fired.

What do I know though, I'm a brick wall.

101 - Damn, you must feel like a real dumbass, huh?

He doesn't have feelings, he has mood swings.

This bogus paratrooper who calls him(?)self 101 has never been known to post a fact or even a reasonable opinion. His repertoire extends only to calling his intellectual superiors stupid or retards. herm

Monst.

Well when my kid is sick they stay home with my wife who works full time as a MOM. Ya know the thing parents are suposed to do be parent? Dude if you are working at walmart and have kids the day care cost are more than your wages. If you are working nights then get your husband mom friends whatever to stay with them.

There are always solutions other than calling out to work. BTW andyuhenet I got you beat 3.75 years at current job no missed days.

Not sure what the whining about only 12 days off a year is it's what I get and my job is a lot more skilled than a wally world worker. The demareits only matter if you miss on more than 4 occasions in 6 months if you have to miss that much for illness you need a serious health check up.

With so many unemployed begging for jobs it is not smart to do too many 'call offs'. As too manya want your job.

My wife is interviewing for two part time employees and she has been inundated with applications from people with great resumes [this caliber of applicant she has never seen applying in the past]. This job only starts at $8.00 plus commission.

Ref my post above, many of the applicants do {jokingly) claim they want the job for the discount on the 'novelties', but the quality of the resumes indicate otherwise.

More US goods do no good if no one can afford them.

#25 | Posted by salamandagator

If we're not manufacturing anything in the U.S. and not creating any new living-wage jobs, no one is going to be able to afford cheap imported goods either.


Ref my post above, many of the applicants do {jokingly) claim they want the job for the discount on the 'novelties', but the quality of the resumes indicate otherwise.

#44 | Posted by MSgt at 2009-11-06 06:01 PM |


We get it.

Your wife sells dildos,butt plugs, and Libertarian Lawyer Joe's personal favorite; nipple clips.

Ya. Walmart ought to not deduct pay just because a worker doesn't show up to work, and they have to cover with another employee. They should have to pay for BOTH employees. Also, they should have unlimited sick leave with no deduction in pay whatsoever.

Since when do we compensate for productivity? It's so fucking tragic. I just can't get over it.

Angry loners who never HAD a child so cannot come close to comprehending what parents go through to try to hold down a piece of crap job at wally world and raise a child.
Free Market at work MY ASS.

#36 | POSTED BY MONSTMAN AT 2009-11-06 04:58 PM | REPLY | FLAG

You are bat-shit crazy. Ya, conservatives are angry loners who don't have kids to take care of?

No, we were the ones who showed up to school everyday to get good grades while future libpukes stayed home with the sniffles, and whined to the principal that they didn't get an A.

No, we were the ones who showed up to school everyday to get good grades while future libpukes stayed home with the sniffles, and whined to the principal that they didn't get an A.

Posted by somoco

According to U.S. Bureau of Census statistics, the Top 10 states with the highest per capita income (except Wyoming) and those holding college degrees were Blue States (except 'swing state' VA, where Nothern Virginia, Democratic, got them on the college degree list).

The bottom 10 states in income per capita and those with the highest per capita % below the poverty level are solidly Red States.

www.census.gov

I hope I'm not too late to here some feedback on my post.
I'm one of the management people of a big box retailer.not Wal Mart. My problem is not the fact that people get sick.we all do. Although I can honestly say that in 25 years I've taken one sick day. I'm lucky with good genes I guess. It's also why my empathy level is pretty low with people that seem to get sick 2, 3, 4 or 5 times a month. I simply just can't identify with it. It really has nothing to do with sickness but rather a lack of responsibility and commitment. However, I still realize that people DO get sick and quite frankly should not be working. If people are truly sick, I have no problem with someone taking the day/days off.
Now, my question is, at what point do you think an employer should have some recourse? An employer depends on employees to do a job just as an employee depends on the employer for a paycheck. If they are not showing up for work 4 or 5 times a month (I've had employees over the years who think this is acceptable attendance), at what point do you think an employer just can't accept it anymore? My guess is that this group of employees were habitual "I don't feel well and can't come in" employees and the management staff just got feed up. Many times this can happen when the employee actually is sick but after they have called in for the 10th time in 6 months, well it's the little boy that cried wolf scenario. Have I summed things up from the employers standpoint?

I know. There are a lot of blacks and Hispanics in the red states. Except Wyoming.

Just knowing that libs hate WalMart makes me happy to go there. If I can't find it at WalMart I don't need it. Even if it costs more at WalMart I will buy it anyway. My bank, car shop and Mickey D's are there too. What a place!!

You can also get a haircut, $4 prescription drugs, and Great Value items. Bought a half gallon of Great Value Rocky Road, and it was some of the best I'd ever tasted.

Libbies just pretend to hate the place. Even they don't throw their own money away.

KSPECK - Your well written and experienced statement will open you up to all sorts of attacks of being a slave driver.

I'm amazed at how many of my co-workers call in sick, and frankly I get sick and tired of hearing the "single parent" angle. Either you can meet your end of the obligation or you can't.

"Walmart Pressures Sick Employees to Work"

And why shouldn't they? After all, the company is run by sick people.

I have to argue this article, I have yet to see a Wal-Mart employee that works. They are usually on lunch, break, cell phone, walking up and down the aisles, blocking passage of customers trying to shop, they have zero courtesy skills. Whoever designed their uniforms with " How May I help you?" got it right, they put it on the back, cause they are usually headed away from customers, at high speed I may add. If they can block an aisle they will, if they can cut you off, they will, the customer comes last.

Sam Walton would have disinherited his kids if he'd had an inkling they'd treat WalMart employees as poorly as they do. He was always a prince to WalMart employees and treated them very well. They're money grubbing, spoiled jerks.

#57

You're absolutely right about that Timex.

Sam Walton would never approve of the way his company is being ran today.

AMEN Timex. Sam Walton was FOR America not against Her like His spoilt Offspring. I swear when this Greatest Generation all dies off we are S C R E W E D D E L U X E

Larry

But at least the Chinese could pronounce Walton ok.


Run Forrest Run.


And I ran, I ran so far away.....

JERRYTARKANIAN - No you do not get it -- People are applying for a job (part time) that a year or two ago they would never had considered applying for. Their 'discount comment' is how they try to justify why they are now trying to get the job.

Had Wal-Mart maintained its early priorities of selling only American made products, it would have been an asset to the USA instead of being a fundamental force behind the decline of the USA and the rise of China.

#62 | Posted by Robson

Amen. Sam Walton would roll in his grave if he knew what his kids did with WalMart.

This new health care bill is about maintaining Americans as slaves to their employers. If Americans had a national health care plan paid for by taxes, employees would be free to become entrepreneurs and free to change employers. It would serve to improve wages instead of squeezing workers with the rush to the bottom.

How do you weenie libs like TIMEX know what Sam Walton is thinking from his grave? You lib fucks should stick with what you're good at, namely creating new Federal programs that make people more dependent and destroy the country.

#65 | Posted by fwthom

Some of us were around when much of America hadn't heard of WalMart or Sam Walton
We saw him at stores.
We knew employees when he ran the company. Happy campers.
Cashiers became millionaires through company stock programs
His employees were treated like gold.
"American Made" ruled the day.

Sam Walton would roll over in his grave if he knew what his kids did with the company.

A lot of hysteria on this thread, directly proportional to the number of libbies on it.

If you don't like WalMart, don't shop there. If you think their workers are badly treated, work somewhere else. If you think their products suck, buy elsewhere.

WalMart still prefers to buy American when it's competitive and how do you presume to know what employees of WalMart are thinking when 25,000 people show up to apply for 250 jobs at a new WalMart store? WTF, WalMart still has a an employee stock program.

Stick with your Obamacare, Government Motors and crap and tax.

"When 25,000 people show up to apply for 250 jobs....?"

People need work?

Sorry. Still trying to get my mind around a company that takes out death policies on its own employees, not to the benefit of the deceased's family, of course.

Still trying to get my mind around defenses of that practice, most particularly Randian assertions it proves the moral superiority of the company.

"A lot of hysteria on this thread,"

RubeisRube is talking out his ass again, as usual. There's no hysteria on this thread. Just some people pointing out the demonstrably true assertion that Walmart sucks.

Company's not morally superior Zed. But what is it you libbies always say? "If you don't like abortion, don't have one."? If you object to what's on TV, don't watch? And so on?

Now I'm supposed to take you seriously when you demonize a company that saved the average family shopping there more than $3,000 a year?

Please. Isn't there a Rush or Palin thread you should be beating you little drum on?

"WalMart still prefers to buy American when it's competitive and how do you presume to know what employees of WalMart are thinking.." - Fwthom

At one point WalMart's buyers would even recommend specific manufacturers in China to the reps and say, "if you don't get it made there we won't buy". You're welcome to talk to WalMart hourly employees that are willing and report back on how they're treated.

How about their produce? Ice cream? Canned fruit and vegetables and meat and yogurt and milk and cheese and bread? How about the stuff that rolls out of their bakeries and delis and pharmacies?

Still, a bike is made by the Chinese, along with a good bit of their household items, and the Chinamen are out to get us! Aaaaaaahhhhh!! Some gook made my garbage can!!!! Help us Obama!!!!

I know WalMart employees too. They love it, because they're able to work nights, while their husbands are taking care of the kiddies. Not good enough for the know-it-all libbies, though, who would prefer WalMart shut down, to the benefit of KMart or JC Penney or Target. What a tool.

Just some people pointing out the demonstrably true assertion that Walmart sucks.

#70 | Posted by nullifidian
* * * *

Then don't shop there.

Must be WalMart's turn again. Last summer it was the oil companies, this summer it was the insurance companies. Now WalMart's up again, and BigCoal is on deck.

Actually the behavior sound typical of low paying jobs. Generally people in that income strata are more easily bullied buy their employers. WalMart is not alone in this type of sick leave policy.

I love to read the right wingnuts go on about how the left is trying to promote socialist behavior and bring on communism... when in fact socialism is promoted fast by capitalist conservatism and unfair employment practices. They are after all outnumbered and inevitably as demonstrated throughout history a revolt happens against the wealthy.

The best way to prevent destruction of the higher echelon from occurring is instigating judicious socialist practices to keep the worker bees happy.

"WalMart still prefers to buy American when it's competitive and how do you presume to know what employees of WalMart are thinking.."

Gee, paying manufacturing employees slave wages allows them to sell goods cheaper and make American made goods uncompetitive????
Well duh!!!

The advantages of paying labor the lowest possible wages should not be rewarded with unrestricted, unregulated access to the markets created by a large middle class that was created by the purposeful reduction of the size of the labor force which increased demand for labor and thus raised wages.
Our Social Security system, our child labor laws, our forty hour work week were all done to increase demand for labor and drive up wages by allowing the elderly to retire, the youth to go back to school and the workers to have leisure time. Allowing international corporations to undo generations of progress in their quest to profit off of our middle class market is destructive to America and is also a self-defeating strategy because in the end it kills the goose that lays the golden egg, the goose being a well paid middle class. We are witnessing it right now in our present "recession" which some say is actually a depression.

"Now I'm supposed to take you seriously when you demonize a company...."

Do I get money if you treat me seriously? If not, why should I care what you think?

I could be an executive at Walmart with such an attitude.

Walmart saves the average family $3,000 a year? That's just the compensation required to get people to interact with assholes.

Walmart saves the average family $3,000 a year? That's just the compensation required to get people to interact with assholes.


I haven't noticed that Wal-Mart has a disproportionate amount of asshole employees. Maybe the problem lies somewhere else...

The far leftist National Labor Committee published a report?

No. Really?

I'm sure the libs on this site would accept a gun control report published by the NRA, an environmental impact report published by Exxon and maybe a Republican National Committee report on Democratic malfeasance.

OK, now that you all have your National Labor Committee talking points, go ahead start your robot talk.

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