Walmart is a worldwide superstore that got its start in the 1960s.
Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, founded Walmart on the foundational principle of “The lowest prices. Anytime. Anywhere.”
Job opportunities at Walmart stores all around the country are opening all the time.
With positions like cashiers, sales associates, managers, pharmacy specialists, automotive technicians, and even drivers, there are positions available for anyone who may be looking.
However, researching the pros and cons of working at Walmart is important, so you know what to expect.
There are several pros and cons to working at Walmart.
Table of Contents
Pros of Working at Walmart
1. Great Benefits
The benefits that are offered at Walmart are highly debated amongst employees and former employees.
Some feel that the benefits are not enough, while others feel they are very generous.
Walmart offers healthcare, training opportunities, and college tuition credits.
Walmart also offers store discounts, 401k contributions, Roth IRA options, and more.
Benefits are an important thing to consider when you are looking into a potential job opportunity.
This is because benefits are what will help you financially down the road when an unexpected medical or financial situation comes up.
Walmart offers many benefit packages that can help you with these situations.
2. Hour Lunch Break
In addition to the out-of-work benefits you will receive after taking a job with Walmart, you also get a generous lunch break.
Many comparable companies only offer you the required 15-minute break during your shift, but Walmart offers a lunch break option that is an entire hour long.
This is helpful, especially for jobs that are more physically demanding, as you will be on your feet for most of the day.
3. Job Security
There are always opportunities available at Walmart.
Because Walmart is a company that offers so much at such low prices, there are always customers walking through Walmart’s doors or shopping online.
These guarantees work for people in Walmart stores as well as at Walmart’s corporate office.
Truck drivers are also always needed because the food and goods need to get to Walmart.
4. Advancement Opportunities
Because Walmart is always growing and changing, there are always advancement opportunities available.
Many Walmart employees have worked in several different departments as they have worked their way up the ladder.
Some employees started in entry-level positions as young adults and now work in managerial positions.
There are always opportunities to move up at Walmart.
5. Easy, Fast-Paced Work
The individual jobs that you may apply for when you look into working at Walmart are overall easy jobs.
Although they are physically demanding, and dealing with customers may be difficult, the day-to-day responsibilities are not difficult.
The work is fast-paced, due to the fact that there are many tasks that need to be done on a daily basis.
Therefore, the day moves quickly and your shift will be over before you know it.
Most workers agree that fast-paced work is better than having a shift that moves by slowly, and Walmart jobs are definitely not boring.
6. Training Opportunities
Because people are constantly getting hired and moving jobs around, Walmart has made a point to streamline its training processes.
This ensures that everyone is well-trained for the jobs that they are hired to do.
When you move into a new position at Walmart, someone will help train you to do your job well.
Good training processes are a big part of success in a job.
If you are trained well, the first few weeks of your job will be much easier.
7. Paid Time Off with Longevity
As you build up your time and experience at Walmart, your benefits increase.
Walmart is a company that respects your loyalty if you have given many years to the company.
As your experience increases, the amount of paid time off (PTO) that you get also increases.
You can get up to four weeks of paid time off every year if you are a loyal Walmart employee.
Cons of Working at Walmart
1. Absence Policy
One of the most common things that employees at Walmart complain about is the strict absence policy.
It is very difficult to get an excused absence from work if there is an extenuating circumstance in your life.
Because Walmart is such a large corporate entity, it is nearly impossible to know each employee’s specific life situation and make accommodations accordingly.
Therefore, if there is an illness in your family, a death in your family, or any other unexpected event, it depends greatly on your manager as to whether or not your absence will be excused.
Many critics say that one way Walmart can do better for their employees is to make more efforts to know their personal circumstances better and therefore make more informed decisions when it comes to the absence policy.
2. Customers
On any job board, customers are listed as the biggest con of taking any job at Walmart.
Walmart makes a concerted effort to keep prices low for their customers.
This can lead to an attitude of entitlement when it comes to customers, which most retail stores deal with on a daily basis anyway.
Mean and rude customers can be a big con to working at Walmart if you do not have thick skin.
As long as you do not take customer rudeness personally, you should be able to overcome this specific downside of working at Walmart.
3. Physically Draining
Virtually every job at Walmart has a physical component, whether that be stocking shelves, driving trucks, or working at a cash register.
All of these jobs require long hours of standing, sitting, lifting, and more.
At the end of a shift at Walmart, you will be physically exhausted from all that you have accomplished.
If you are not in good health or struggle physically, this will be a tough job for you to have.
4. Tough Work Environment
Walmart employees are just like any other workers; they are people who are working to provide for their lives and their families.
However, due to tough absence policies, hard schedules and hours, and more, it can be a toxic environment to work in.
Promotions and advancement opportunities can create hard situations for coworkers that are going for the same jobs, and long hours can make anyone exhausted and irritable.
The environment at Walmart can take a toll on your physical and mental state.
5. Revolving Door on Management
As more opportunities at Walmart open and close, management is also constantly changing.
Although this does mean more advancement opportunities, which is a good thing, it also means that management expectations are constantly changing.
Changing expectations can be difficult for you as an employee, as you may not know what exactly is expected of you.
In addition, this can add to the existing work environment, making coworker relationships more complex and difficult.
6. Understaffed
So many places all around the country are understaffed, and Walmart is one of them.
When places like Walmart are understaffed, it can mean an unequal load for you and your coworkers.
If your easy, yet demanding job gets even more demanding, it can become very difficult.
When companies like Walmart are understaffed, it can be difficult to maintain the staff that you do have. Employees are overworked, and that leads to burnout.
Burnout is a dangerous thing for companies because there are usually two results that come from it: either the employee quits, or the employee becomes apathetic and just adds to the already toxic work environment.
Either way, the understaffing problem is adding to the problems at Walmart.
7. Poor Healthcare Coverage
Lastly, the number one complaint of employees and former employees of Walmart is healthcare coverage.
Walmart does offer this benefit of health insurance.
However, it does not cover major healthcare expenses.
This can be very difficult for employees, as family members can deal with high-expense health problems, and they themselves can even struggle with this.
Poor healthcare coverage is a major con when it comes to benefits.
Pros and Cons of Working at Walmart – Summary Table
| Pros of Working at Walmart | Cons of Working at Walmart |
|---|---|
| Great Benefits | Absence Policy |
| Hour Lunch Break | Customers |
| Job Security | Physically Draining |
| Advancement Opportunities | Tough Work Environment |
| Easy, Fast-Paced Work | Revolving Door on Management |
| Training Opportunities | Understaffed |
| Paid Time Off with Longevity | Poor Healthcare Coverage |
Should You Work at Walmart?
Overall, there are many pros and cons to working in any environment, including Walmart.
It is always important to do research on job boards like Glassdoor and Indeed when it comes to taking a job.
Employees and former employees can post to these job boards with reviews of working at different locations.
Walmart is a great place to work if you are physically able to do the job, are willing to have a flexible schedule, and if you are a punctual person who rarely misses work.
If you need a job that can help you pay for your education, give you insurance and 401k contributions, and has good opportunities for advancement, this may be a great job option for you.
