I didn’t receive any training, except guidance to allow any unmasked customers in the store, even if they didn’t have one or didn’t want to wear one. Many of this year’s breakthroughs and lessons have the potential to make our future much brighter. The Bentonville, Ark.-based behemoth said that it will install “health ambassadors” at each location to help implement the rule, which goes into effect on Monday. With the support of United for Respect, I organized action that day to call attention to Walmart’s disregard for associate and customer health. GOP senator says $2,000 COVID checks won't pass, Cuomo staffer hit in head with cinder block during random NYC attack, Tennis star's girlfriend shares graphic sex detail, Pelosi schedules Monday vote on $2K COVID relief checks, Massive explosion that rocked Nashville was 'intentional act': cops. Right now, Walmart’s policy is weak, spineless, and dangerous for everyone who steps into a store. I wish Walmart had a stronger policy in place that would keep associates safe from violent customers, and customers and the community safe from unmasked Walmart shoppers. Enter Walmart's health ambassadors. Fayetteville is sweltering in the summer — temperatures into the 90s and humidity exceeding 40 percent on the daily — and health ambassadors stand outside without any shade. Now let's imagine that you've been given a new role: Walmart health ambassador. A Louisiana man miffed that he was asked to wear... Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Privacy Notice “The manager walked me outside and simply told me that I was to ask a customer to put on a mask, and if they didn’t have one or didn’t want to wear one, let them inside without a face covering,” Vanderpool told Vox. “The First Amendment rights of individuals who think they shouldn’t have to wear masks are outweighed by the need for public safety measures and concerns.”. Here’s Vanderpool, in his own words, about what it was really like on the front lines of the mask debate, and why he’s stepping up to advocate for other workers who are still there. In the U.S., Walmart store managers earn an average of $175,000 a year, according to the report. We never stop short when it comes to making a difference. “Until people see a lot cases where they are, they might not take it seriously,” she said. Health Ambassador? This story has been shared 326,870 times. Health Ambassador: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Elverson, PA (USA) Treatment Coordinator - Walmart Health (Chatham: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Chicago, IL: Updated Dec 22, 2020. Office & Gifts Desk Supplies Stationery Tech Accessories Books Toys … It’s even worse than it sounds. (KNWA/KFTA) — Walmart is adding “health ambassadors” to remind customers of state and local coronavirus mask mandates. After 126 days of employment, my last day at Walmart was on Friday, July 31. © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, DOJ sues Walmart over role in opioid crisis, Two women get in knock-down brawl over PS5 at Walmart, Walmart expands driverless delivery pilot to Louisiana, Walmart to give COVID-19 vaccine following FDA approval, openly defiant of face-covering requirements, RV that blew up in Nashville played recording that warned explosion was coming, Ivanka Trump shares Christmas family photo, Teresa Giudice spends Christmas Eve with new boyfriend and family, Snow squall makes Colorado mountains disappear in under a minute. Walmart will post signs and station designated "health ambassador" employees outside store entrances to remind shoppers to wear a mask. To expand on this commitment, we launched Walmart Health to provide affordable, transparent pricing for key health center services for local customers, regardless of insurance status.. Just ask Christopher Vanderpool, a former “health ambassador” for the country’s largest private employer: Walmart. Walmart requires that customers wear masks. What often happens at Walmart is that someone needs a break, and a manager will find someone to take their spot. The average Walmart salary ranges from approximately $19,000 per year … Help us add 2,020 founding contributors to our supporter base by the end of the year, and keep Vox free for all, by making a contribution today. That being said, a lot of my fellow health ambassadors and associates generally agreed that we ought to be able to refuse entry to anti-maskers. 65,861, This story has been shared 50,828 times. I think the new Walmart rule is a great idea.”. I was in high school, so I volunteered in my community through Key Club and built advocacy skills through speech and debate.). (Although Target didn’t announce a company-wide mask policy until mid-July, Los Angeles was under an emergency order at the time that required people to wear face coverings in places like grocery stores.). I’ve had numerous customers threaten to beat me up for inconveniencing them, just because I needed to count them, or asked them to enter through the doors marked “enter,” or to pause and wait for the group ahead. There isn’t a choice, mainly because our store was chronically short-staffed. Walmart provides cold water, but standing outside for a whole shift takes a toll. I rarely received a response, and I don’t believe a manager ever confronted an unmasked customer despite being notified. My training — if you could call it that — was a quick verbal instruction by my manager. At the very least, some are being sent to do a job with inadequate training and support from their employers, making those so-called mandates little more than empty platitudes — and actual enforcement, in most cases, impossible to do safely. In July, a Trader Joe’s worker in New York City was taken to the hospital after being “[hit] ... over the head with a wooden paddle” by one of two men who were asked to leave because of their refusal to wear masks. Walmart called me back first and hired me as a cashier at $11 per hour, pre-tax. The Health Ambassadors at Walmart stores will “will work with customers who show up at a store without a face covering to try and find a solution.” At Sam’s Club, the Health Ambassadors will … If I were the CEO of Walmart, I wouldn’t task essential workers who are already putting their lives on the line with another dangerous task, especially without investments in real, sustainable support, like social distancing and more paid time off. 326,870, This story has been shared 103,856 times. The fleet of health ambassadors at the more than 5,000 Walmart and Sam’s Clubs in the US will include new hires as well as existing employees trained for their changed roles. I'm guessing just putting a temp at the door with a tablet was not … Walmart's website states: "In addition to posting clear signage at the front of our stores, Walmart has created the role of Health Ambassador and will station them near the entrance to … Average Walmart hourly pay ranges from approximately $10.07 per hour for Food Clerk to $28.18 per hour for Data Entry Clerk. If not, please consider making a contribution today from as little as $3. In a week that saw big chains like Kohl’s, CVS and Target announce that all shoppers must wear masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, only Walmart said it is creating a dedicated enforcement team. Our ambassadors … In addition to posting clear signage at the front of our stores, Walmart has created the role of Health Ambassador and will station them near the entrance to remind those without a mask of our new requirements. Walmart said in the release that it created the role of "health ambassador," a person who will be stationed near the entrance of stores to remind customers without masks of the new policy. “I think they’ll need a security guard standing next to them in case people balk.”. As for Walmart’s possible financial liability, lawyer Linda Wong says that the reward merits any risk. Walmart has created a "Health Ambassador" role and the ambassadors will be near store entrances "to remind those without a mask of our new requirements." This story has been shared 103,856 times. I was just told today I would be doing that as well now and only got a brief description … Despite Walmart promising that health ambassadors would be trained to “work with customers who show up at a store without a face covering to try and find a solution,” a two-minute Walmart … The mask mandate also applies to Sam’s Club, the retail warehouse chain owned by Walmart. 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