Note: Experiences differ from person to person.
I was hired as a front end cashier during the summer of 2008. My interview process was very professional and gave me the opinion that I would be a valued employee within the company. I spent the first three days taking various different tests of knowledge about Hazards and Wastes; Alcohol and Tobacco Products; Blood Pathogens; etc. I spent the next seven days as a trainee. The first day I could only watch another Cashier and help bag, but afterwards I was allowed on the register.
Initially I thought that I wouldn't like working at Wal-Mart. I was wrong. I won't lie though. I had open availability and asked to be full time from the very beginning; however, I rarely worked more than 32 hours per week unless it was around the holidays. Overall my management team and co-workers treated me well. It was the customers who could be a problem from time to time.
I had to deal with getting cussed out and being yelled at on a regular basis. Once someone even pulled the race card. All because I'm just following the policies. If they complain enough then I would call management over and nine times out of ten the customer would get what they wanted. The customer is always right after all.
I was finally granted full time hours when the company decided to only give those employees benefits. My schedule was then changed to the second shift (2 pm to 10 or 11 pm). I rarely worked any earlier than that even though I was available.
I never had any holidays off except for Easter. I always had to work on all of the other ones. My only guaranteed day off was Sunday and the other day was random, but it was never a Friday or Saturday unless I specifically requested that day off as vacation time.
The Management team changed in 2016 and everyone could see the difference. I know that other departments were struggling. Sometimes there was only one person covering Toys and Sporting Goods during the peak hours. There weren't enough people in Tire and Lube to get through all of the orders. Trying to find someone in Hardware or Fabrics and Crafts was a challenge.
It was even worse at night. The front end had plenty of Cashiers during the daytime, but never enough after about 8 pm or so. I had been trained to work in Customer Service (so I could process returns and exchanges) as well as the Gas Station because they didn't have anyone else available to cover the area.
I worked there for almost ten years before I was involuntarily terminated due to tardiness and absenteeism. I didn't even realize how much that job was sucking out of me until I left. I had no social life or friends. No personal time to pursue my own interests because events and such usually happened while I was at work.
My mental, emotional, and social health had really suffered. I had beaten myself into position, being the perfect cog in the machine. I was just another employee; nobody special or important. I felt stuck, like nothing would ever change.
I found another job pretty quick and I feel more valued there. I work the schedule that I want to, which leaves me time for events and hanging out with friends when they're actually available. I'm never going back to Wal-Mart.
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