2015 Global Responsibility Report

Associate opportunity at Walmart U.S.

At Walmart U.S., we’re proud of the jobs and opportunities we offer our associates — but we knew we could do better. So we took a step back and listened to what our associates were telling us. We’re making a number of changes to enhance the job and advancement opportunities we provide at Walmart U.S. We’ve raised the starting wage, we’re piloting a program to create more choice in scheduling, and we’re introducing a training program to help deliver the skills our associates need to be successful in their jobs and move up. We’re committed to creating opportunity for everyone who chooses to work with us.

Pay in the U.S.

Pay rate is an important factor in providing associates with the opportunity to create a career in retail. In order to advance every associate’s opportunity, we’ve recently announced a number of changes to our pay structure for hourly associates in the U.S., including:

  • In April 2015, we raised our entry wage to at least $9 per hour. Approximately 500,000 associates received a raise from this change alone.
  • By February 2016, all current associates will earn at least $10 per hour.
  • Also starting in February 2016, all new associates will start at a minimum of $9 per hour, go through the Pathways training program for six months, and then receive at least $10 per hour upon successful completion of that program.
  • We’re also increasing the starting rate for some Department Manager positions. Starting in July 2015, those positions will receive at least $13 per hour, and at least $15 per hour in February 2016.
  • We’ll continue providing quarterly bonuses, based on store performance, to all full- and part-time associates who have been with us more than six months. In 2014, we paid more than $500 million in bonuses to our hourly associates.

Benefits


Paid sick leave
We offer paid sick leave today and we are looking at ways to provide a time-off program that better meets associates’ needs. This includes eliminating the one-day wait period for sick leave early next year.

401(k) program
One way for associates to prepare for a secure financial future is by taking full advantage of the Walmart 401(k). After a year of employment, for every dollar associates put in, the company contributes another dollar, up to 6 percent of their pay. And because associates can increase, decrease or discontinue participation at any time, they’re in control.

Scheduling in the U.S.

We recognize that hourly rate is just one factor in an associate’s take-home pay — another being the number of hours the associate works. We also know that our associates in the U.S. are asking for additional stability and flexibility in the schedules that we currently provide. That’s why we’re building off our current transparent, accessible scheduling program to create schedules that truly work for both our associates and our business.

  • Today, our associates in the U.S. can see schedules two-and-a-half weeks in advance, well above the standard in the retail industry. These schedules are accessible online and via hard copy in their store.
  • Associates who are interested in picking up additional hours also have the ability to view available shifts in their store. If an available shift works for the associate’s life, they have the option to add it to their schedule. On average, more than 1 million additional hours are available each week across the U.S.
  • Access to additional hours can help associates move from a part-time job to a full-time career. For the past several years in the U.S., 75,000 Walmart associates per year have moved from part-time to full-time.
  • We’re piloting a program called Scheduling Choice that will help coordinate fixed shifts for associates who want stability. These associates will work the same hours each week, giving them a predictable paycheck and allowing them to plan their lives around work. These associates will know their schedules six months in advance. We plan to roll Scheduling Choice out across the U.S. in 2016.
  • The new program will also feature flexibility for associates who need it. For associates who are working through school, or who use Walmart as a second job, it’s important to be able to change their Walmart schedules from week to week to meet other needs. Scheduling Choice will provide options to build their own schedules, each week, around their changing lives.

Training in the U.S.

Training has always been an important part of the Walmart experience, no matter what the tenure or level of associate. In the U.S., our newest training program — called Pathways — provides transparency to possible career paths for associates who are new to the business; teaches associates about the retail business model; explains the “why” behind the tasks they’re asked to do; and provides them a chance to develop soft skills that are necessary for success in life.

  • Pathways is a unique combination of hands-on training and demonstration of skills mastery in the areas of teamwork, merchandising and communication. After completing a training series, associates are required to demonstrate what they learned to their managers prior to advancing to the next step in the program.
  • After completion of the first step of Pathways, associates have the opportunity to choose where they would like to go, whether it’s to an hourly supervisor role, a management position in one of our specialty departments like bakery or electronics, or elsewhere.



Additional Access

In addition to on-the-job coaching and training, Walmart makes it easy for associates in the U.S. to supplement their professional development. Associates have free access to:

  • Programs to complete a high school diploma or GED
  • Free and low-cost college credit through the work they do, which reduces the time and cost of a college education
  • Professional development, skills-building courses (e.g., computers, money, cooking, preparing taxes) and language training programs

Enhanced education and skill-building opportunities

In June 2014, we added a variety of new options to help associates in the U.S. obtain the education and skills they are looking for. The programs, outlined below, are free, or very low cost, and designed to help associates build new skills and prepare them for the next step in their career.

College credits: Since 2010, Walmart has offered associates the opportunity to earn a college degree through an online partnership with American Public University (APU). We’ve expanded this program by offering hourly supervisors the ability to earn up to 18 hours of college credit for less than $250, or less than $15 a credit hour. The classes integrate theories and practices in retail fundamentals, customer relations, inventory management and financial development. In addition to APU, we offer tuition discounts to many colleges and universities through the Associate Discount Center.

Help with high school: Through our new partnership with ed2go and Career Online High School, associates can earn a high school diploma, at no cost, that is fully accredited and accepted at colleges and universities. The diploma includes a skills certificate in one of eight areas, including office management, retail customer service and child care and education.

Second language education programs: We’ve partnered with Rosetta Stone to help associates learn English for free. In response to an enormous volume of associate requests, we expanded Rosetta Stone Language Learning beyond English to provide both hourly and management associates free access to all levels of learning in up to 30 languages. More than 40,000 associates have requested and received access since June 2014.

Workforce skills online training: We’re working with the Goodwill Community Foundation to provide free access to learning solutions for associates who want to be more proficient with skills like reading, math and computers. This online program offers more than 1,000 lessons, videos and other training tools on essential skills for associates.

Challenges: Associate development

We can’t create a one-size-fits-all solution for 5,000 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. We’ve designed a program that provides opportunity to our associates in the U.S. as a whole, but the level of impact will vary from associate to associate. For example, long-term associates who are used to a certain schedule may feel a disruption through the new scheduling portion of our program. In addition, it’s extremely important that our store managers and other operators recognize that the changes we’re instituting related to pay, scheduling and training will be good not only for associates, but also for our business. We’re working to address these challenges through appropriate change management tactics, including communication, listening tours and staggered project management plans.




Walmart is committed to creating opportunity for associates around the world. These are a few examples:

click on circles for country info.

In 2014, we promoted nearly 200,000 Walmart U.S. associates and nearly 45,000 Walmart International associates to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay.
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Canada
Women in Retail success

Walmart’s Women in Retail program was conceptualized by Walmart Canada to help increase the presence of women in leadership positions throughout the company. Today, 26.1 percent of Walmart Canada store managers are female, a 54.4 percent increase since the Women in Retail program launched in 2010. In October 2013, the program was expanded to all of our markets.

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U.S.
Offering opportunity and advancement
  • About 75 percent of Walmart U.S. store management teams started as hourly associates.
  • For the past several years, 75,000 associates per year in the U.S. made the transition from part-time to full-time jobs.
  • 300,000 Walmart U.S. associates have been with the company for 10 or more years.
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Mexico
Leveraging Female Executive Leadership Education

Myndi Alfaro, an associate at the Walmart Mexico corporate office for nearly three years, leveraged insight from the 2014 Female Executive Leadership Education program to transition into her new role as commercial manager for men’s shoes. She was chosen from a select group of female managers with strong leadership skills. Myndi had exposure to and engaged with retail leaders from within and beyond Walmart.

“The faculty brought global experience and really understood the challenges we face at Walmart,” Myndi said. “The willingness of everyone to share their experiences and knowledge of the business helped raise my awareness of the value chain and its impact on our customers. It helped me identify the areas I need to develop in order to go from being a boss to becoming a real leader.”

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Argentina
Enjoying a long-term career

For some, Walmart represents a first job and a chance to gain skills to succeed in the workplace. For others, it’s part-time work — students stretching their financial aid or a teacher working over the summer. And, for many, like Alejandro Alberini of Argentina, it’s a chance to build a meaningful, long-term career.

“I’m very proud to be a part of Walmart and appreciative of the opportunities I’ve been given to grow my career from department manager at the Bahia Blanca City store to director of the Walmart store in Laferrere over the past 20 years,” Alejandro said. “I’ve worked at stores in various provinces across Argentina. The associates are this company’s most valuable asset and we’re rewarded for our hard work.”

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U.K.
Building a promising future

When Hassan Halane was an 11-year-old camel herder in Somalia, his family sent him to the U.K. to pursue his college education and build a promising future. After studying hospitality management, he found an opportunity with Asda. He was recently promoted from general store manager to senior manager over 15 stores in North London and Essex.

“My father wanted me to make a difference and that’s what my job and my life have become,” Hassan said. “To get where I am now, I’ve worked in every department. I’m proud that I started out as an hourly paid colleague and developed through the structure. Asda is an educational business, giving you the skills and tools to do the job at every level.”

Leading on gender equality

Asda was named one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Women in 2015, which lists organizations that are leading on workplace gender equality.

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Japan
Creating a path for part-time to management

Across Japan, it’s generally difficult for part-time workers to grow their professional careers. Walmart Japan, however, offers career development opportunities for all associates. Since 2006, 379 associates who began their careers as hourly part-time workers have been promoted into full-time salaried positions. In 2014, 59 associates were promoted to assistant manager.

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China
From International Academy to Buyer of the Year

Walmart’s International Academy was designed to help elevate skills and capabilities at the front end of an associate’s career, fueling a pipeline of high-performing talent across our international markets. Since 2012, the program has trained and transferred 80 associates back into the Walmart business in Argentina, Brazil, Central America, Chile, China, Mexico and South Africa. One of those associates was Scarlet Yu, a buyer in furniture who went on to be recognized as Walmart China’s 2014 Buyer of the Year.

“The International Academy guided me through each area of merchandising and helped me fully understand the entire buying process,” Scarlet said. “It helped me realize that when you think bigger, you make better decisions for the whole company. The program provided me with a strong foundation and gave me the courage to be innovative and create impactful change.”

Labor and employment compliance

Labor and employment laws differ in each country where we operate. Our labor and employment compliance team works with our human resource professionals to promote a work environment that supports the needs of our associates, encourages growth opportunities, and creates fair and consistent labor and employment practices for every associate.

Strengthening our efforts

In 2014, we strengthened our labor and employment compliance efforts in the U.S. and international markets by:

  • Designating labor and employment compliance subject matter experts in each market
  • Enhancing our governance framework for the company’s immigration compliance program
  • Implementing an enhanced electronic time clock archive reporting system
  • Promoting collaboration and the sharing of market best practices through monthly labor and employment compliance regional forums


Open Door

Consistent with our culture of respecting each and every Walmart associate, we have continued to reinforce our Open Door policy, which offers associates the opportunity to bring suggestions, observations and concerns and to have those matters addressed. All U.S. associates are encouraged to:

  • Speak to the facility manager.
  • Contact their market or divisional team if an issue is unresolved.
  • Contact the Open Door Helpline, where an associate relations manager conducts an independent investigation, if an issue is still unresolved.


The Open Door Helpline fielded more than 32,000 calls from February 2014 through January 2015. More than 15,000 of those were Open Door-specific, while others covered employment-related questions and concerns. This process continues to help us improve our business and bring closure to concerns in a timely manner, reinforcing our corporate culture and instilling respect for the individual.