Walmart loses $54 mil to pissed off workers.

Viva la breaktime.

The discount store to end all mom and pops loses a class action suit, a suit that alleged employees working for the company had its breaks cut. The suit also claimed that employees were NOT stopped from working off the clock- a major legal no-no for any company to do. From what I- a reporter on this- can understand is that a Wal-mart employee can work without pay and not get a break. If this is true than its a goddamn disgrace.

Walmart has argued that most of its staff worked off the clock willingly. Who the hell does that? Maybe an employee trying to show off to management (like me), but frankly Walmarts track record of employee treatment over the years has never been clean enough for me to believe that an employee would ever think to just let them take a benefit and LAW away from them. As an employee of a major retail company I can proudly say that after busting my ass for half a shift, I DEMAND at least 15 mins to regroup. And no, I do not work for Walmart.

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Walmarts reputation is very stained. From lousy employee treatment, to illegal immigrant hiring, to destroying small businesses, and selling faulty and or dangerous products just to name a few. Google search at any time "Walmart", "lawsuit", "complaints" and "bad business" all in the same line and you'll have enough to read about until the rapture. Is it all fair? Is it possible that Walmart knows how to run a business well and all the media hoopla is just to destroy them? Should Walmart start getting paranoid?

This recent lawsuit is just the state of Minnesota- a very rural area of the Upper Midwestern US. If Walmart is smart they'd really start caring a lot more about their staff, regardless if this recent episode is media exageration or not. Because if a small chuck of your staff in one state gets wind of the fact that they can sue you, then the rest of the 49 states might play 'Viva la breaks" too. Imagine $54 million times 49- at that point Wally world can kiss its Christmas profit good-fuckin'-bye.

What do I think? I think Walmart has had it coming. The company I work for has hired many former Walmarters. Why'd they leave?

They got tired of being treated like crap.

Now as I sit here waiting for the Walmart police force to break down my door, I leave you with this- don't let your rights as an employee be stripped. We all need breathers. The only break I feel is unnecessary is 'smoke breaks'. If a filthy habit can be an excuse for a break than what about a nose picking, or nail biting or masturbating break?

I wouldn't try asking for that last one.