Moms Rising takes on Walmart: Join 'em

Ever feel compelled to head to work when you should be home with your sick child?  Like you're making decisions about handling your child's illness based on the demands of your work?  Honestly, what parent doesn't? 

But in the case of Walmart employees, there's something unusual to worry about: getting fired because you take too many sick days - even when you're earned them!  According to Moms Rising,

Recent news reports by the The New York Times, Washington Post and ABC News have revealed that the megastore colossus has a practice of issuing what are commonly called demerits, or “occurrences” to employees who get sick and take sick days.  Accruing enough occurrences can lead to dismissal. 

As a result, many Wal-Mart employees feel compelled to go to work sick and are unwittingly exposing their co-workers and customers to the flu and other contagious diseases.  In response to media coverage of this practice, Wal-Mart said it would issue a memo altering the policy for employees who had to take time off because of being sick with the H1N1 flu.  In an ABC News report, a Wal-Mart memo was quoted saying, "we must be clear that no one will lose their job if they get H1N1.”

Why does Moms Rising frown on this (childlike) policy?  Co-founder Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner explains it this way:

"Wal-Mart’s practice of providing earned paid sick days and then giving employees demerits for using them is perplexing and fundamentally unfair.  If taking earned paid sick days can result in losing your job, then the sick days policy isn’t meaningful.

We’re particularly concerned that Wal-Mart is willing to risk the health of its employees and its customers with this practice.  It is shocking that a company as concerned about profitability as Wal-Mart would risk the health of its workforce by encouraging sick, contagious employees to show up at work. Studies show that presenteeism – coming to work sick – costs companies about $250 per employee each year."

So, not surprisingly, Moms Rising is doing what only it (and its 1,000,000 supporters) can do: Launching a campaign urging Wal-Mart to stop giving employees demerits for taking sick days, regardless of the health reason.  And they're not alone - far from it.

What can YOU do?  Get in there and give Wal-Mart their own “demerit badges,” of course!  How?  Just sign their petition urging the company to change its practice.  More than 40,000 moms and others have already signed the petition and handed out (virtual) demerit badges, which MomsRising will deliver to Wal-Mart executives at their headquarters in Arkansas.

Wanna know more?  I did, too.  Moms Rising has an excellent, clear explanation of the whole sordid story, why it matters, and what's next.    

Comments

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WallMart's help could take the form of inoculation sites within some of its 4,000 U.S. stores, or by using its legendary logistics system to distribute the 160 million doses of the vaccine that will be available before flu season begins.

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[ProtestMama]

Many, if not most employers do this especially to lower level employees like receptionists, servers, kitchen help.

I think WalMart is popular and easy target for progressives but we're missing the forest for the trees. How are non-exempt workers in your place of employment treated? What change can you affect there, even if it is just stopping the derisive comments made by childless folks when parents take sick leave.

[LTF]

Lindsey, Thanks for letting us know; I added the link. LTF

[Lindsey]

The link for signing the petition is blank.