- Walmart,Good Citizen? by munificent
19 y
1,882 2 Messages Shown
Blog: Spirit of Money, Financial Fluidity
Wal-Mart: Good Corporate Citizen?
Recently the company has made a flurry of new proposals that address health insurance, the environment, the minimum wage, and workforce diversity.
Stephen Taub, CFO.com
October 25, 2005
Is Wal-Mart Stores becoming a better corporate citizen?
The world's largest retailer has been a lightning rod for a number of advocacy groups regarding its policies on pay, benefits, and work conditions. In recent days, however, Wal-Mart has proposed a flurry of new policies that attempt to address those complaints.
For example, although many companies have recently increased the health-insurance premiums that their employees pay, Wal-Mart announced a plan that would enable some workers to pay as little as $11 per month in premiums, according to news reports. This works out to between 40 percent and 60 percent less than under the company's current plan, reported the Associated Press. Many the employees, however would pay $25 per month as individuals, or $65 for a family.
In addition, noted The New York Times, Wal-Mart's health-insurance plan would require a $1,000 deductible, but it would allow participants three doctor visits before they would begin paying it.
The Times also reported that Wal-Mart plans to reduce energy use in its stores, double its trucks' fuel efficiency, minimize its use of packaging, and pressure thousands of companies in its worldwide supply chain to follow its lead. Chief executive officer H. Lee Scott Jr. told the paper that these goals will improve the company's bottom line while heeding its customers' wishes.
Meanwhile, in a teleconference with employees, Scott called on Congress to raise the minimum wage from the current $5.15 per hour, according to The Los Angeles Times. Scott reportedly said that "While it is unusual for us to take a public position on a public policy issue of this kind, we simply believe it is time for Congress to take a responsible look at the minimum wage and other legislation that may help working families."
In yet another initiative, Wal-Mart has changed 40 of the relationship partners at its top 100 law firms in an effort to increase the racial and gender diversity of its outside counsel, according to the Fulton County Daily Report. which cited the company's associate general counsel, Samuel M. Reeves. "In each case, it was a shift from a non-diverse to a diverse attorney," he reportedly asserted. Nationwide, just 17 percent of law firm partners are women and only 4 percent are minorities, the newspaper noted.
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munificent
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- Yes this may well be right, there are other facts too... by kerminator
19 y
2,019
There were three groups that were willing and able to respond to the New Orleans area disaster, within days.... None of them were from the government.... It was WalMart, Home Depot, and the Salvation Army.... Thanks you guys for the quick and through responces.... These are what we need.... Plus I understand that WalMart had satellite phones in the areas without communication, they shipped over 250 Thousand gallons of water the first few days , plus blankets, diapers, and emergency supplies and food...
BTW only one foreign country that I heard of; sent emergency medical supplies, and support by the plane loads... That was Isreal...
Those are the facts folks... Thanks for your post 9th you do a great service, keep up the good reporting.... see ya.. K
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kerminator
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