WALMART ELEVATES WORKERS TO FULL-TIME TO RETAIN MANPOWER

Walmart is moving more of its workers full-time as the nation’s largest private employer looks for more ways to attract and retain employees, Anne D’Innocenzio reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The company said Wednesday it plans to have two-thirds of its US store hourly jobs be full time with more consistent work schedules by Jan. 31, the end of its current fiscal year. That’s up from 53% five years ago, the company said.

With the move, Walmart will have 740,000 of its 1.2 million US Walmart hourly store workers working full time by early next year. That would mean it will have about 110,00 more full-time workers than it did five years ago.

Walmart employs roughly 1.5 million workers in the US including those at Sam’s Club, in distribution centers, and corporate and managerial jobs.

Drew Holler, Walmart’s senior vice president of US people operations, told AP Wednesday that workers are demanding full-time jobs, which have better health and dental benefits.

Holler also noted that full-time work offers the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer a competitive edge as it’s able to retain and attract better employees in a fiercely competitive environment.

The moves also come as the exploding pickup and delivery businesses are calling for more full-time jobs as Walmart’s stores operate both as fulfillment centers and retail spaces.

“We know offering more full-time opportunities along with skills training and equipping associates with tools to make work easier will help us continue to attract and retain top talent,” Holler wrote in a corporate blog.

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