Doug made it clear in an HR quarterly meeting that layoffs will continue & basically said if you cannot accept that, you need to go somewhere else. HR has the lowest AES scores across the company. We get blamed for all the layoffs even though we just have to execute leadership decisions regardless of what we think (or know) is right. Very sad era for Walmart.
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Wmart has & continues to try to implement new rules which end up screwing over the associate. They can talk about "customer first" scheduling but it doesn't even benefit the customer. When they hire new people & give them hours that I normally work & I was cut that same week, it tends to piss you off. I'm also a shareholder as I have stock in the company but there have been too many changes the last few years & most of the changes were bad for anyone who works in the company unless you make a 6-figure salary.
VKE,
The "at will" piece is our fault though. We voted for politicians that allowed labor laws to be passed that don't benefit us.
Now look where we are.
If you want this to change you're going to have to find out where your legislators stand on these workplace issues. Otherwise we're all going to wind up being reduced to wage slaves.
I hate to hear about anyone losing their job, and can see eliminating the bottom performers. Some of the cuts made were to very significant people though. So...it is what it is. I was cut months back, and the only reason I have any concern for Walmart's performance is because of my friends that still work there. Otherwise, it can go down in flames as far as I'm concerned.
The 19% is just this years target... Surely you realize that.
Maybe Doug could forego 10 million of his yearly pay & save hundreds of jobs
I agree with Airerdale's reasons for the higher SG&A%, and would also add lower sales growth as a contributor to the cost deleverage. WMT can't get to 19% with lowered headcount alone.
I don’t think that SG&A would be so off kilter if it weren’t for the leadership ventures into small formats, action alley redo’s, New York styled apparel ventures, contracted IT, world wide domination aspirations, and buying up every .com business they can get their hands on to offset bad business ideas, poor leadership, lack of investment in core retail (web or brick & mortar) beforehand.
Now the owners, therefore the punished are those that are delegated to from these “on-high-but-wipes. Associates that follow the plan, do the job, try to save the company money.
SG&A is controllable. But from the top down. With the bottom 99% contributing as mentioned.
So yes, they can control the expenses by removing people. But the savings impact would’ve been realized much sooner if they were to rid themselves (and us) off said butt-wipes much earlier. And taken away those golden parachutes along with their underperforming departure.
The current leadership and all those bend at the knee lawyers that are running it now JUST PLAIN S---.
Every time I hear "at will" I cringe. All US companies are at will because indentured servitude is illegal.
Sorry that HR now has too "worry" about their positions but that frankly is a crass statement after the layoffs that have occurred in the last few years. HR functions can be done by a 3rd party. Most likely will be in the next couple of years. That is if WMT still exists.
Informing your fellow Associates that they no longer have a job is a painful process, no matter what company you work for.
WMT leadership has committed to engaging the productivity loop as well as creating a more agile and responsive organization. With SG&A % of sales at 21% and a target of 19%, leadership is intensely focused on productivity and cost. Don't forget that WMT is an "at will" employer regardless of the company vision and values.
At the end of the day WMT has to deliver a return to shareholders. One can't lose sight of that. There is still a big gap between the current level of profitability and that of the peak level.
True, problem is now folks in HR have to worry about their own jobs too. Constant layoffs are so common in general third parties have arisen to do the dirty work plus they have no emotional ties with the "victims"
True.
As you talk to your HR peers, tell them we would appreciate a bit more compassion. We do understand you guys follow orders, but please - put some compassion into the mix.