OUR Walmart
10,000 signatures reached
To: Walmart manager Heidi Crowell and CEO Doug McMillon
Walmart: Treat Military Families with Dignity
Walmart prides itself on its efforts to hire veterans, but our vets and their families need continued support. To help Walmart employees with active service members in their families, Walmart should publicly commit to update its leave policy on a national level to help these employees care for their families while their loved ones are deployed.
Walmart launched an initiative to help out our armed forces by providing jobs when their enlistment is up. But the company's commitment should not end there. Walmart’s commitment to our military should be expanded to help Walmart associates who are the spouses of soldiers as well.
Walmart associates who have spouses in the military should be able to take a short leave of absence when their loved ones are going overseas, are on a short trip back home or away for military training.
Why is this important?
Lisa's story:
My name is Lisa Austin and I work in Apple Valley, MN at Walmart #2642. On December 28, 2014 I was disciplined for staying home to take care of my seven-month-old child while my husband was away training with the National Guard.* The training was on the weekend of December 7, 2014. Per Walmart policy, I requested the days off close to two months in advance but was still written up for the days missed. Now I am close to being terminated and am afraid I will lose my job if I have to miss work if Walmart doesn’t approve future dates that my husband is away. The store manager told me that “my absence was inexcusable and everyone has kids.” I was told that I cannot have another absence until June 14, 2015.
Military families sacrifice on a daily basis when their spouse is deployed or away from their loved ones. Should a Military spouse sacrifice her child or her job for just needing a day off to care for their baby?
Walmart can help associates like Lisa and show its respect for military families by amending its leave policy today. Please join us in showing your support by signing this petition for a national policy that helps all our military families who work at Walmart across the country.
*Since I started working at Walmart in October 2014, I had not been working there long enough to qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: UFCW and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Wal-Mart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Wal-Mart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Wal-Mart publically commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.
