Wally World Wants You
Will Walmart hire any old people in its new Houston stores? Elderly practices aconcern
The Walmart development at 1-10 and Silber Road, the second major Walmart development currently encroaching upon Houston, is now hiring. New hires will begin this month to prepare for the store's grand opening in November.
Benefits of employment (both full-time and part-time positions are available) include health insurance with no lifetime maximum, a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, store discounts, a stock purchase program, life insurance and eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
Unless you're old.
Yes, the elderly might want to think twice about applying. There are charges that Walmart long ago took a commendable corporate practice — employing and insuring the elderly — and assumedly decided they had way too much money and clout to worry about public perception or responsibility.
For years now there have been accounts of Walmart managers at locations in other parts of the country assigning the most physically demanding tasks to older employees, especially those who've been with the company long enough to merit higher compensation, and then firing them when they're unable to perform said tasks. Other alleged old-people-weeding schemes? Scheduling older employees only for the night shift, firing those who take off for doctor's visits and canning sweet old greeters right after they get punched in the face.
A group of nine New York employees sued Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for $20 million this February, charging that the Walmart in Monticello, N.Y., fired older, more experienced workers to replace them with younger, cheaper workers routinely.
The new Housotn-area Walmart on Sidler says it will take on about 450 associates to wave at customers, stock shelves and worry over equal pay. If you want in on this opportunity, they've established a hiring center at 4400 North Freeway, Suite A100.
