A Walmart worker claims that she’s gamed the system to be making $45 an hour. But the math isn’t quite adding up.
The claim comes from TikTok creator Sasha Roshae Reid (@sasha.roshae.reid), who boldly posted a video detailing her calculations on Wednesday. She got more than 116,700 views as of Thursday morning.
She starts her video with the declaration, “You know we live in the world of struggle; you’ve got to work two jobs to survive.”
“Y’all ever heard of the term, ‘Don’t work harder, but work smarter?’” she asks. “A lot of people get a second additional job because they don’t want to do a bunch of hours at one job. So if you’re going to get a second job, make sure your second job is a sister company. So you can get paid time and a half for your regular pay.”
She repeats that phrase and walks through how she can get that level of pay.
“I work at Walmart neighborhood, and I work there from 3 to 11. But I decided I’m not making enough, and I only make $12, $15 at that Walmart. I go to the Walmart Supercenter, and I pick up a part-time job from there. Since it’s the same company. I’m no longer getting paid $15 for the Supercenter. I’m getting paid 30. And my main job is getting paid $15. That puts you at $45 an hour at Walmart.”
It doesn’t, though. Assuming she’s making the higher end of that $12 to $15 range, she would get paid $22.50 for overtime hours. And that’s for the 41st hour and beyond each week since she’s saying that the Supercenter job pays $15 an hour as well.
What the law says
She does seem to have a point, however, about the sister company rule. The U.S. Department of Labor says, regarding overtime, “The federal overtime provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Unless exempt, employees covered by the Act must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay. There is no limit in the Act on the number of hours employees aged 16 and older may work in any workweek. The FLSA does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, unless overtime is worked on such days.”
“The Act applies on a workweek basis,” it adds. “An employee’s workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours — seven consecutive 24-hour periods. It need not coincide with the calendar week, but may begin on any day and at any hour of the day.”
The Lore Law Firm in Houston, writing about the sister company concern, notes, “The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that all of a worker’s hours, including hours worked at a different location for the same employer, be counted toward when determining overtime pay. Even if an employee is performing two different kinds of work with different pay rates, the hours must be combined for overtime pay purposes.”
The Neighborhood Market concept is more grocery-focused, smaller, and more relaxed than a typical Supercenter. It actually celebrated its 25th anniversary last October, according to Walmart World. The celebration took place at the first store of its kind—in Bentonville, Ark., the town where Walmart was born.
What the people said
Commenters were moved to contribute after seeing the video.
“15 at time and a half is like 22,” one observed. “Also first job not paying you if you on the second job. Where’s 45 coming from?”
Another chimed in, “Yeah the math ain’t mathing and her response makes even less sense.”
“I do payroll,” someone else contributed, “and the numbers aren’t making sense.”
“Why did you [just] snitch on yourself,” another wondered. “Walmart will fire you for that.” That observation prompted a response video.
Finally, someone shared, “My Walmart doesn’t let you hold more than one position for any Walmart,” putting the story into further question.
The Daily Dot have reached out to the TikToker via comment and DM, as well as to Walmart via email.
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