Walmart plans to shift status of more workers

Share of full-time jobs to rise, it states

This undated file photo shows Walmart's sign in front of its Bentonville headquarters.
This undated file photo shows Walmart's sign in front of its Bentonville headquarters.

In a move that Walmart Inc. workers have sought for years, the retailer said Wednesday that it will shift more of its store employees from part-time to full-time status and give them consistent schedules from week to week.

Drew Holler, senior vice president for Walmart U.S.' people division, said in a post on the company's website that it expects to have two-thirds of its hourly store employees working under the new model by Jan. 31.

About 53% of Walmart's U.S. hourly store workers were full-time employees in 2016, Holler said. Reaching the two-thirds mark by the target date means the Bentonville-based retailer will have about 100,000 more full-time positions than it did then, he said.

Walmart did not immediately respond when asked how many of its roughly 1.5 million U.S. workers are currently full time or part time, or how many part-time jobs will become full-time positions.

Holler said the company already uses the full-time staffing approach in its distribution and fulfillment centers, where 80% of employees work full time.

"We're uniquely positioned to offer a combination of stability and room for growth that few others can match," Holler said. "We are prioritizing consistent schedules, skills training and new pathways for growth so all jobs at Walmart can lead to careers."

Specific reasons Holler gave for the changes for store workers include helping the company attract and retain top talent and build a team-based structure. He also said Walmart's growing pickup and delivery service calls for more full-time workers, since its stores are increasingly serving as fulfillment centers as well as retail spaces.

"We believe full-time schedules complement the other ways we are preparing for the future of retail," Holler said. "Retail trends have accelerated, and we've evolved how we serve customers and the roles that support them."

The worker advocacy group United for Respect, many of whose members work at Walmart, has long pushed for these changes.

Cynthia Murray, a 20-year Walmart employee in Maryland and a spokeswoman for the nonprofit organization, said in a statement Wednesday that the group for more than a decade has sought consistent hours and more full-time positions.

"Today Walmart is finally taking a step in the right direction for working people like me, who need a consistent schedule to provide for their families," Murray said. "Today's announcement is welcome news to the courageous associates who have been speaking out for fair scheduling for years."

But despite the encouraging development, Murray said, the nation's largest private employer still trails its competitors in terms of full-time staffing and starting salaries.

"If Walmart truly wants to retain associates and offer 'stability and room for growth,' we are happy to meaningfully engage with them on our requests, which include moving to a full $15 minimum wage for all employees immediately, cost-of-living increases to longtime employees, and giving associates a seat on the Walmart board," Murray said.

Walmart raised its base starting pay to $11 an hour in 2018. Last month, though, the retailer gave raises to about 425,000 store workers on its digital and stocking teams.

Starting pay for those employees ranges from $13 to $19 an hour, depending on store location and market, Walmart U.S. Chief Executive Officer John Furner said.

In contrast, Target Corp. raised its starting wage for U.S. workers to $15 an hour in July. Costco just raised its starting hourly pay from $15 to $16 in early March.

Best Buy raised its starting minimum to $15 in August, and Amazon has paid a minimum wage of $15 an hour since 2018.

Walmart shares fell 5 cents Wednesday to close at $139.32.

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