The deserving (working) poor: Wal-Mart offers self-help classes to employees

they are damned if they do or damned if they dont. You bloggers must be in someone's pocket to be so consistent in criticizing Walmart no matter what they do.

they are damned if they do or damned if they dont. You bloggers must be in someone's pocket to be so consistent in criticizing Walmart no matter what they do.

I agree on the money management classes. People just don't save money because we were never taught how. If they could teach their employees to spend their money wisely, I think there would be a lot more supporters of Wal-Mart, because you can save a little something that can build to a lot even on a small paycheck.

I have worked for Wal-Mart twice, the first time my sons doctor told me I had to take two weeks leave in order to make sure that the medicines my son was on, would not push him to commit suicide. This after his being in the hospital for 90 days, not even ever visiting home. Btw we had moved 7 hours away to get him proper doctors. To learn, yes you can have the two weeks, but you're fired if you do???? the second time, I learned, one could not get the hours to make up enough to pay rent, or a car payment. I dont know how you can say that even on small income you can save!! It takes every freakin dime to even pay for transportation, insurance, gas and food. Forget any bills !!

Jeanie, thank you for telling it like it is. I hope bernard and people like him read your comments. I don't shop wal mart and never will. Look at the millions they have paid out to lawyers and to settle law suits. This money could have been spent else where like their employees.

I work as a cashier at Walmart; underpaid, given my years of experience as one. Am still looking for a better job;tired of low pay and so-called sick hours that I can't use; have to be sick 2 days in order to use 1 and still get an unexcused absence, doctor excuse or not.They give this pr image to public but, once hired, it's a different story.Save money, Bernard???I'm single-income-subsisting!!

I work as a cashier at Walmart; underpaid, given my years of experience as one. Am still looking for a better job;tired of low pay and so-called sick hours that I can't use; have to be sick 2 days in order to use 1 and still get an unexcused absence, doctor excuse or not.They give this pr image to public but, once hired, it's a different story.Save money, Bernard???I'm single-income-subsisting!!

A.W.Lee - are you being facetious or are you really that stupid? I'm sure Walmart would LOVE to have spent that money on employees, but they have to defend lawsuits and pay lawyers because, being the world's largest retailer, they are a target for crooks and kooks.

Jeanie, a company hires you because they need a body present doing a job. If you can't be there to do the job, why should they retain you?

Walmart doesn't owe anyone anything. If you don't like their company culture, don't shop there. If you don't like their employment policies, don't work there. Just please, for god's sake, stop whining about them.

I would like to compliment Walmart for trying different things. 401k and ira's are not a garantee look at "ENRON" ? If those high paying jobs were so great and "educated" why did they fall??? and they were "FINANCIALLY INTELLIGENT" please back off of WALMART! Obviously the "RICH" CAN THROW THEIR MONEY AWAY, Please leave Walmart "FANS" alone, if you don't like it get a job somewhere else or don't shop there go work for someone like "ENRON" AND INVEST ALL YOUR MONEY THERE SINCE THEY ARE SO SUCCESSFUL! @ lying to people.

Whenever I go to Walmart the employees are just organizing things and they get their breaks it is an easy job. Most of the items you can go through the automatic machine and scan them yourself. I don't see them overworked. I don't know what all the complaining is about. It is not Rocket Science work...People are never happy we are so greedy and selfish it is always, me! me! me! Can we help the consumer? We all have to make sacrifices...Be glad you have a job. People are risking their lives to work here and we don't see how lucky we are to be able to live here and work here! Go to another country see how long you last! People from other countries don't understand how spoiled and ungrateful we have become! Do something for someone else! At least Walmart takes care of its consumers. People forgot how to work they just want their check and that's it! No matter how much more you pay them it will never be ENOUGH!!! So, stop the complaining if you don't like it there is a DOOR! "EXIT" nobody is forcing anybody to work where they don't want to...

Walmart is just another company operating under the facade of a great American corporation in place to aid everyone: young, elderly, poor and disabled. They do a great job of hiring but are not obligated to do much more. Everyone's worked at a crappy job...It just takes some people longer to realize that Walmart may be that job. Are we expecting them to save the world or something? I think with all of the negative press on Walmart, it would be a safe bet to say, "If you have the means (perhaps a decent education), get the hell out!"

Educate wal-mart employees and sign that union card: Employer paid health care, defined pension plan, top wage-rates, and a lot more. Most retail stores are organized and enjoy these benefits contained in a contract; why should wal-mart employess not enjoy these benefits.

Jay, easy for you to say that there is an exit door if you don't like your job. I'm sure you would not work for wal mart because you probably have never worked for the little pay they get and little or no benefits. Maby you are not aware that they have locked people in the building and would not let them leave until all the work was done and then refuse to pay them for the time and how about the discrimination suits they paid out to former employes. Jay get your head out of the sand.

Being broke and a college student (yes I am actually broke my monthly bills total up to over 1200/month and thats without having cable TV or the internet) Wal-Mart is a good place for me to work. I've had a lot of jobs in many different fields ranging from healthcare to education in my journey to find a right major, but out of all the places I've ever worked at no other job has offered the schedule flexibility and healthcare that the company provides. I think there is a lot of room for advancement at Wal-Mart, the turnaround rate is pretty high which can be a good or bad thing for some people. But if a person is determined enough to try out their skills as a business person, then Wal-Mart is a good place to start, since from what I can see they advance their associates pretty fast. Also for someone who cannot afford to attend college and has a family if you are serious about helping the store, and are very good with your fellow employees and superviors (basic traits of good management) then there is no doubt that you'll make it up there. Working at Wal-Mart you are all or nothing from what I can see sales associates and cahsiers do not make a lot of money (although it is compettitive to some CNA jobs that I've had coming within .50 cents) But once you fill out that career prefernces form and start working towards advancement there is a lot of money to be made even at department manager position. Which is great for someone who never went to college, Wal-Mart gives someone a chance to advance into positions and earn salary that would otherwise be out of their reach. To me making a living off of Wal-Mart is knowing your employees and your supervisors, wanting to really better yourself, and having enough patience to work through the not so good jobs first. Oh yea one more thing there are jobs outside of the store as well, a lot of employees can get up to merchandise purchaser, logistics, regional managers, nurses, interpreters. Almost for whatever major you had Wal-Mart has a job for you. And who knows with enough sincere people making their way up to the top, maybe we can use Wal-Marts position to better this world of ours.