I work outside at Wal-Mart Store #3570 in Evans, Georgia as a "Cart Pusher". I have been in this position for 6 and a half months with no complaints or coaching aside from a verbal coaching concerning attendance which primarily stemmed from repeatedly getting sick in the colder weather in January. That coaching serves as a warning more than anything else. I am respected by my supervisors and fellow associated for a strong work ethic. However, on August 9th, 2009 I received a written coaching for, and I quote, "being unproductive while drinking water".

I was working a 4:30-10:00 pm shift with one other person on a Sunday before all the local schools start back so it was understandably busy. The two of us were working as hard as we could especially in Georgia humidity and summer heat, often pushing more at once than instructed according to Wal-Mart guidelines because we were urged by a manager and expected to break the policy. Around 6:30 we had gotten the parking lot to a decent point and so I decided to stop to get some water from our orange cooler in our cart bay. After learning that it was empty on my side, I go to my co-worker's side of the store that he was covering with our cart machine (I had been pushing them by hand for 2 hours straight). I get to that side and pour myself a cup of water and lean against the carts to drink. Not even 30 seconds later my manager comes into the cart bay asking what we were doing even though we had cups of water at our mouths. He tells us there is no time to drink water and we reply telling him about the heat. After smart comments on his behalf, I walk away furious to go find another manager. The manager I tell about the incident will later be the one to write me up. Apparently I am supposed to be able to go without water. I didn't know this.

Often we will have 3-5 Cart Pushers at one time on a normal day but for whatever reason, there were only 2 of us on the busiest day I have ever encountered during my employment with Wal-Mart. I had already read Wal-Mart guidelines concerning heat and water breaks prior to this incident and I most certainly am allowed. There are no specifications as to when or where I should take these breaks. Does understaffing really prevent me from protecting my body or do I need to risk potential injury for 1 minute of a water break? Because of this incident, I now have to stay in my current position for 1 year more after I just became eligible to transfer or switch positions. I feel like I'm working in a hostile environment with my employers now and am being singled out. To the best of my knowledge, no one else that day got written up in my department regardless of the state of the parking lot which was cited as the reason for not having any time for water.

I dont know why people come on here complaining about Wal Mart. I dont see how you can Judge a company as a whole based on your service in one or two stores. The Wal Mart I shop at is a GREAT store. 95% of the time they have everything I need. There might be some rude people every once in a while but you have to stop and realize or think about how many assholes came through their line before you did. On another note I do work at the store I shop in. It is a very high volume store. I read a complaint that stated when they went shopping the isles were full of stuff. Of course if you go shopping after 11pm its going to be that way...most stores are 24hrs and we have to stock at some point right. Anyway NOT ALL Wal Marts are the same so before you go judging you should think about that.

I wanted to check the price of a very large princess castle. The box was about 4 feet high. I saw 2 workers making themselves look busy and asked if they could check the price on the toy for me. They told me to use the price checker machine across the hall in the pet aisle. I dragged the box to the price checker and found that it wasn't working. I dragged the box back and told the workers about the default and asked them again to check the price for me. They told me to just take it down to the check out aisles and then the 2 workers went off. I saw another worker in the pet aisle across from me and asked him to check the price for me. As he was helping me one of the 2 original workers reappeared. The helping guy lectured the idiot worker because idiot worker didn't even have a price checker on him.

Then after I paid for this massive castle. I had it in a shopping cart and was clearly leaving the express aisles. This "wal-mart greeter" stopped me before the doors and wanted proof of purchase. HOw stupid can you be.

I was in the Super Wal-mart on Pendleton Pike just the other day. I can completely understand that they are going through improvements and remodeling. I went to the bakery and just wanted to ask someone a question. I even saw the sign that customers would not be able to even order anything until the next day. But again, I only wanted a question answered. My sister was throwing me a baby shower that weekend and we were looking at cupcakes and cake options from the book. A Wal-mart employee asked if we needed help. We told her that we were looking at cakes. She immediately stated what the sign said in a loud manner. I said okay, but I just wanted to know how much this type of cake would run me. I just needed an estimate because we were planning on coming back the next day. She then told me that the person I needed to talk to was at lunch and she walked away. Why is there only one person in this section, or any section, who knows prices? And why is there any reason to be rude about it. I would think there would be a list of prices for cakes that are in a book, preplanned designs. We ended up going across the street to Krogers. They were nice and wonderful and I even said thank you for being so kind. And we like their price too.

I recently shopped at Wal-mart in Connellsville, PA, and had purchased over $200 worth of products. However, there were two items that would not scan. After 25 minutes of waiting, one item was priced, and the second item was still not priced. The item was a Steeler car window shade which I'm sure could not be really expensive. The manager had us waiting an additional 10-15 minutes while he searched for the price. After a total waiting time of over a half hour, he said he would take our name and address, and send us the price of the item. Did he really feel we should wait for him to mail the price to us, travel approximately 36 miles round trip, and purchase an item that is probably les than $10?
Hello! Give us a fair price and and we'll pay for the thing! Please use common sense.