Wal-mart

[elgordoboy]

Andy A.

I think Sam Walton was an honest hard working man. I met him once and was amazed at how nice and down to earth he was. I don't think the Wal-Mart we know now has anything to do with him.

As I stated when I started this thread this all started for me 5 years ago when I had an older lady that was an employee of Wal-Mart and I found out how bad their coverage was. She paid almost $100.00 per month (she could not afford that) for short term disability insurance they offered, that when she needed it did not pay....not one dime. Through research I found out they never pay out on those type policies. She would have been better off without it and saved her $100.00 per month. This was not their health insurance plan, which she had as well, this was just a short term disability plan.

Just two weeks ago I had a guy who came in to our clinic and he could not afford the $1,000.00 deductible he had on his policy. It started over again at the first of January which means it would cost another $1,000.00 in just a few short weeks.

Here are some of their stats for you:


All of Wal-Mart's Health Plans Are Too Costly for Its Workers to Use

Since the average full-time Wal-Mart employee earned $17,114 in 2005, he or she would have to spend between 7 and 25 percent of his or her income just to cover the premiums and medical deductibles, if electing for single coverage. [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide and UFCW analysis]

The average full-time employee electing for family coverage would have to spend between 22 and 40 percent of his or her income just to cover the premiums and medical deductibles. These costs do not include other health-related expenses such as medical co-pays, prescription coverage, emergency room deductibles, and ambulance deductibles. [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide and UFCW Analysis].
Wal-Mart trumps the affordability of its new health care plan. According to Wal-Mart, "In January [2006], ...Coverage will be available for as little as $22 per month for individuals" [www.walmartfacts.com]

What Wal-Mart's website leaves out: Coverage is affordable, but using it will bankrupt many employees. Wal-Mart's most affordable plan for 2006 includes a $1,000 deductible for single coverage and a $3,000 deductible for family coverage ($1,000 deductible per person covered up to $3,000). [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide]

Maybe lower prices at your clinic? If they can get 3 times the service for the same money that would effectively lower their deductible to $333.

 

[Beach House 25]

Andy A.

I think Sam Walton was an honest hard working man. I met him once and was amazed at how nice and down to earth he was. I don't think the Wal-Mart we know now has anything to do with him.

As I stated when I started this thread this all started for me 5 years ago when I had an older lady that was an employee of Wal-Mart and I found out how bad their coverage was. She paid almost $100.00 per month (she could not afford that) for short term disability insurance they offered, that when she needed it did not pay....not one dime. Through research I found out they never pay out on those type policies. She would have been better off without it and saved her $100.00 per month. This was not their health insurance plan, which she had as well, this was just a short term disability plan.

Just two weeks ago I had a guy who came in to our clinic and he could not afford the $1,000.00 deductible he had on his policy. It started over again at the first of January which means it would cost another $1,000.00 in just a few short weeks.

Here are some of their stats for you:


All of Wal-Mart's Health Plans Are Too Costly for Its Workers to Use

Since the average full-time Wal-Mart employee earned $17,114 in 2005, he or she would have to spend between 7 and 25 percent of his or her income just to cover the premiums and medical deductibles, if electing for single coverage. [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide and UFCW analysis]

The average full-time employee electing for family coverage would have to spend between 22 and 40 percent of his or her income just to cover the premiums and medical deductibles. These costs do not include other health-related expenses such as medical co-pays, prescription coverage, emergency room deductibles, and ambulance deductibles. [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide and UFCW Analysis].
Wal-Mart trumps the affordability of its new health care plan. According to Wal-Mart, "In January [2006], ...Coverage will be available for as little as $22 per month for individuals" [www.walmartfacts.com]

What Wal-Mart's website leaves out: Coverage is affordable, but using it will bankrupt many employees. Wal-Mart's most affordable plan for 2006 includes a $1,000 deductible for single coverage and a $3,000 deductible for family coverage ($1,000 deductible per person covered up to $3,000). [Wal-Mart 2006 Associate Guide]

With that mentality I understand now... "That makes it Ok!" Gosh Gezzz Duhh me!

Merry Christmas to all! BTW Wal-Mart employees are not allowed to say that while on the clock... Interesting....

 

[Beach House 25]

What's the pun? I saw someone else post in another thread about a pun. And I didn't see one there either.

LOL.. I will let the mystery remain, Sometimes its just better to let ones question stand as an answer...

 

[Beach House 25]

Re: Wal-mart ot

FYI post watchers! Looks like this thread will make me 100+! Who woulda thought! 100 post party coming up soon LOL:rofl:

 

[elgordoboy]

LOL.. I will let the mystery remain, Sometimes its just better to let ones question stand as an answer...

Gobbletygook to you to.

 

[Beach House 25]

Gobbletygook to you to.

As-Salaam-Alaikum Back to ya!

FYI its spelled, Gobbledygook

Brings up another point, Being Christmas and all, Did anyone notice that Wal-Mart Destin , Andalusia and DFS (The only Three I looked at) Had only Christian decorations? I asked at all three for a simple "Star of David" ornament and to my surprise not one Jewish Holiday decoration! No I was not upset, Just surprised.

Oh and Merry Christmas to all!

 

[NoHall]

Andy A--I worked for Wal Mart off and on in college, and I agree with some of what you said and what a lot of other people are saying: Sam Walton did have a great business model, and I think Wal Mart could have been a truly great thing.

Back when I worked there, they still carried all American-made products. Even then I was kind of selectively cynical and realized that American-made products could sometimes be really awful. (I drove a Volkswagen and a Toyota back then.) But if I was broke and needed toilet paper or a Huffy bicycle, Wal Mart provided it at a good price and gave another American a job.

I only worked part-time (and I was still young enough to be on my parents' insurance) so the benefits weren't an issue, but I was treated well. The management made sure I had breaks and that I wasn't in harm's way at any point (I worked in the garden center at one point, and assembled a LOT of grills.) One Christmas break, someone figured out that I was capable of doing a little more than a price check, and they sent me to another store to help with some year-end accounting--I literally punched numbers into an adding machine as fast as I could all day long for several days. But I was paid a little bit more than usual, and they paid mileage (which is usually more than what my car drinks.)

On the RARE occasions when I go to Wal Mart, I don't see anything like what I described. It's a big fat nightmare, and the only smiling face I see is on the signage. Wal Mart will probably continue to swell up like a tick now that it has latched onto its segment of the American economy, but I don't know that it's a good thing for those of us who don't own stock in it.

 

[Beach House 25]

NoHall, Maybe one day I will learn to put into typed words the way you have of whats the bottom line. In person or "On The Air" I have no problems with it, But typing I lose some of what I am saying.. So in short thanks for sharing what I tried to say in 6 post in your one! (Bow)

Oh and Merry Christmas!

Andy A--I worked for Wal Mart off and on in college, and I agree with some of what you said and what a lot of other people are saying: Sam Walton did have a great business model, and I think Wal Mart could have been a truly great thing.

Back when I worked there, they still carried all American-made products. Even then I was kind of selectively cynical and realized that American-made products could sometimes be really awful. (I drove a Volkswagen and a Toyota back then.) But if I was broke and needed toilet paper or a Huffy bicycle, Wal Mart provided it at a good price and gave another American a job.

I only worked part-time (and I was still young enough to be on my parents' insurance) so the benefits weren't an issue, but I was treated well. The management made sure I had breaks and that I wasn't in harm's way at any point (I worked in the garden center at one point, and assembled a LOT of grills.) One Christmas break, someone figured out that I was capable of doing a little more than a price check, and they sent me to another store to help with some year-end accounting--I literally punched numbers into an adding machine as fast as I could all day long for several days. But I was paid a little bit more than usual, and they paid mileage (which is usually more than what my car drinks.)

On the RARE occasions when I go to Wal Mart, I don't see anything like what I described. It's a big fat nightmare, and the only smiling face I see is on the signage. Wal Mart will probably continue to swell up like a tick now that it has latched onto its segment of the American economy, but I don't know that it's a good thing for those of us who don't own stock in it.

 

[NoHall]

I didn't mean to steal your thunder, though. I knew that I was repeating some sentiments that had already been expressed; I just wanted to throw in my own experience.

Merry Christmas to you, too!

 

[SHELLY]

Walmart started out innocently enough...bringing selection, convenience and jobs to far-flung cities across the nation. Thanks to Sam Walton's work ethic and it's "Made in the USA" pledge, Walmart was able to grow and thrive. But it really latched on to a killer business model when U.S. corporate greed took hold--effectively freezing employee wages while pushing for higher productivity and outsourcing production to third-world nations. Walmart, by then a retailing giant with the world's greatest distribution system, took advantage of its ability to demand the lowest prices from its suppliers. As a result, throughout the years, it continually increased Americans' purchasing power without (U.S. corporations) having to make commensurate increases in employee wages.

Because of Walmart, America was able to morph from what once was a world-class manufacturing/industrial nation into a service-oriented (and lower wage) nation without much notice.

Even though many people despise Walmart and declare they will never cast their shadow across its doorstep, in the end, the majority of the dollars they spend eventually do make their way through Walmart (and subsequently to China) by way of low-wage workers on down the supply chain. You may be able to spend your money at the "Prada Bags R' US," but rest assured, that $8.15 clerk will be buying their daily bread from the Reduced Price rack at Wally-World.

Walmart is the reason we haven't been "aware" of the inflation that has been going on around us for years and years....but now its gotten so bad, prices are rising and nothing can hold it back any longer--not even Walmart.

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