During the great layoff of 2023 where throngs of tech workers employed by massive corporations like Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and others, it seemed like it was the norm for folks to find out they were fired in inhumane ways.
And by “inhumane,” we mean a complete lack of initial human interaction: Folks would try to boot up their laptop, or would be working diligently on their employer-issued device only to be logged out and have difficulty gaining access to their workplace resources.
Much has been written about the “cold” and “impersonal” ways in which tech workers have been laid off, but it would appear that folks who work in brick-and-mortar retail locations are experiencing the similar log-in-issue fears that remote employees are.
At least that’s according to a Reddit post that’s currently trending on the site’s r/Walmart sub from a temporary worker of the chain who saw that a number of their shifts were removed at 2am, leading them to believe that they were terminated from their position without an in-person warning about their final date of employment.
Am I fired lol?
by u/TheUnknownRangler in walmart
Redditor @TheUnknownWrangler posted a screesnhot that appears to be from their Walmart employee portal application that shows a series of messages indicating that they’ve been removed from six of their shifts.
According to the timestamps in the image screenshot, it would appear that they were given notice about being left off of these shifts a day after being assigned four other shifts later in the month.
This led the Walmart worker to wonder if they were being “fired,” as the title of their post clearly asks: “Am I fired lol?”
They provided additional context in the post, stating that the missed a call from their store on the previous day: “The store called me around 3pm yesterday, I didn’t see it so I didn’t answer or call back. All of my shifts were removed at 2 in the morning, why so early in the morning?” they wrote.
@TheUnkownRangler provided an update in the comments section of the post, stating that they learned their Walmart employee account was disabled and they later learned they were “fired from [their] temporary role,” and wasn’t given a reason for why they were terminated from their position.
One Reddit user who responded to the post told the original poster (OP) that they probably shouldn’t be surprised they were let go so unceremoniously because they were hired as a temporary worker: “If it was temporary it was probably just that…temporary. When I first started at Walmart I worked 90 days, then they fired me in the middle of my last shift on my 90th day because I was temporary. Then, 30 days later they called and asked if I wanted to come back. Maybe they’ll do that with you…I’ve been there almost 9 years now, so things might have changed,” they wrote.
Another person who detailed that they work for Walmart as an “ON Stocker” and is part of the chain’s “Remodel Team,” detailed what they believe to be the conditions the chain looks for temporary workers to satisfy in order to keep them on for more long-term positions: “They will keep high performers and anyone under 4 points from what I’ve been told. We are down to our last couple of weeks and they’ve sent over ON mod to help us, the chatty Kathy there has told us she’s to report people who don’t work and stand around, on phones, that type of deal. The remodel leads are also asked who they recommend to stay.”
This was a concern expressed by another commenter who asked @TheUnknownRangler: “How many points are you at?”
To which the OP replied that they were an exemplary employee for the chain. They didn’t have any write-ups (which is the “points” system that many users referred to), nor have they missed any of their shift days or were late: “0, I haven’t missed a day or been late. Also, I can’t log in to my account on workday, says the credentials are invalid.”
Since Walmart employs some 2.1 million associates, it’s not difficult to imagine that there would be a number of legal claims made against the chain from some of these employees, and Walmart has seen its fair share of litigation from folks who work or have worked for the chain. In March, the News & Observer reported that a Walmart slapped the brand with a lawsuit after they were fired for missing their shifts. However, the grievance alleges that the store didn’t take into consideration the reason why they were absent from their workplace duties: They were afflicted with seizures which prevented them from being on the job.
The globally recognized retailer also has been embroiled in legal issues when it comes to its treatment of temporary workers, as well. In 2012, the New York Times wrote that Walmart and staffing agencies utilized by the chain to place workers in positions at its locations were overworking temporary employees and not paying them for their time: “The proposed class action, filed in a Chicago federal court, claimed that Wal-Mart and the agencies violated minimum wage and overtime laws, potentially affecting several hundred temporary workers in the Chicago area.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart via email and @TheUnknownRangler via Reddit comment for further information.
