Bloomberg reports that Walmart "is testing out a higher minimum starting wage for certain jobs in hundreds of stores as part of a broader overhaul of roles and responsibilities across its massive U.S. workforce."
The company said that in about 500 stores, "some associates in the fresh, front-end and replenishment areas will see their hourly pay rise from $11 an hour to $12."
According to the story, the raises are a test, and "right now the company has no plans to raise its minimum starting wage across the board to its 1.5 million U.S. employees, the biggest private workforce in the nation. The redefined roles carry more responsibility, Walmart has said, which justifies the higher compensation. Still, the move could be Walmart’s first step toward boosting its starting pay, which it last raised in 2018."
- KC's View:
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The story makes the point that Walmart is reclassifying the roles with the higher wages, calling them "team associates," and stressing that they are going to have more responsibilities in their stores.
I hope it also is a higher recognition that these stores are only going to be as good as the people who manage them and work there. I'd bet that only a tiny percentage of Walmart shoppers could name anyone in its executive suite, but their experiences are affected by in-store employees every time they walk in the front door.
