Wal-Mart to require Background Checks

[KamaAina]

That's right, background checks. For their crappy jobs that don't pay enough to keep their employees out of the emergency room.

Wal-Mart. Always the fascist policies. Always.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=509&ncid=509&e=16&u=/ap/20040812/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_background_checks

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - New employees at Wal-Mart stores will have to undergo background criminal checks before being hired, according to a plan announced Thursday by the world's largest retailer....

The move follows a South Carolina legislator's proposal last month that would require all large companies that sell to children to conduct background screenings. The bill was proposed after two Wal-Mart workers in the state were convicted of fondling children in the stores. The employees were both convicted sex offenders.

Wal-Mart, which employs 1.3 million people worldwide, said the program would start next month in all types of stores run by Wal-Mart and Sam's Club in the Midwest and expand nationally over the next several months. It will eventually reach into other divisions, such as distribution. The company will check each applicant's history for various criminal offenses.

1) If they don't want to hire sex offenders (and who does?), can't they just check the applicants' names against the (public) sex offenders list?

2) What are the "various criminal offenses"? What about "driving while black"? Won't this put a crimp in Sprawl-Mart's plans to conquer the inner cities, where so many people have arrest records thanks largely to the War on Some Drugs?

I'd stop shopping there immediately, except -- well, I wouldn't shop there, anyway. Besides, the one near me isn't even open yet. Gawd help the small businesses in that part of town when it does. ;(

[Tight_rope]

1. So Walmart is planning to put the little people out of work...Boycott!

[0007]

2. There goes those low prices.

[jackieforthedems]

3. Next It'll Be

Next it'll be just to enter the store. Lol.

[MountainLaurel]

4. Probably want to check for

Any past involvement with the labor movement.

:eyes:

[havocmom]

8. MountainLaurel, wielding hammer, squarely pummels nail head!

You got it! :toast:

[jayfish]

5. BREAKING: Wal-Mart Lobbies Congress To Expand The Issuance...

of foreign work visas... "we can't find enough qualified applicants". </sarcasm>

Sound familiar I.T. people?

Jay

[noonwitch]

6. I worked at K-Mart in the 80s, and they did a record check on me

They had to. They bonded all their employees for loss prevention reasons, and the bonding company required the check. They didn't take prints or anything, like when the state hired me, but they did a basic check for prior convictions.

[MadHound]

7. This isn't all that suprising

And it is probably a smoke screen to do a complete background check on potential employees. Not just criminal checks, but complete background, past jobs, involvement in labor, workmans comp issues, religious affiliation, etc. etc. They already do piss tests to weed out the drug users, and doing a complete check wouldn't suprise me. After all, they don't want any potential union activists, political activists, or undercover jounalists slipping through the cracks.

Walmart is an authoritarian employer, who demands total control of their employees lives. They shift schedules in order to prevent employees from getting other jobs, or doing volunteer work unless it is officially sanctioned by the company. They really are a throwback to the bad old days of the robber barons.

[The Flaming Red Head]

9. All this for 6 or 7 dollars an hour

they better figure out how to outsource somehow.


Most poor people can't pass background checks because the police are harder on them and they can't afford lawyers to keep their records clean.


So who is left to hire? Hey, I know what about prison labor, no need for background checks, just chain em together and then use the cattle prod if they get of line.

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. This is fairly common...

and they're generally looking for prior convictions for things like theft and forgery. Traffic offences and minor drug offences don't really matter so much. Which is understandable, actually...it does make sense that if they're going to hire someone to work as a clerk (which involves handling a fair amount of money in the course of the day) they'd not want to hire someone with a prior history of stealing.

[Mike Daniels]

11. Jesus, most companies do some sort of background check

You don't think they don't check to make sure you're telling the truth when the question comes up on a job application?

I know people here like to get upset over every little thing but damn if I can understand the general outrage over this.

[Cerridwen]

12. It's probably to ferret out those who

might be inclined to file suit against them, you know, some of us dissenter types.

Big Brother will NOT be the government. Big Brother IS mega-corporations.