Workers Assail Night Lock-Ins by Wal-Mart

The NY Times ^ | 011704 | STEVEN GREENHOUSE

[Archangelsk]

Here's a suggestion to test whether Wal-Mart is concerned about employee - snicker - safety or shrinkage: give all Wal-Mart overnighters the option to carry firearms.

[Azzurri]

I can't believe some people are so stupid that they are afraid to leave via the fire exit because of company policy. Heck, if I have a crushed ankle and am writhing in pain, I'm going thru the fire exit whether the store manager likes it or not. If they fire me, big deal, it's Wal-Mart for crying out loud. Some of these people act like little babies.

[Bogey78O]

Scrw policy. Use an emergency exit because they're there FOR EMERGENCIES!!!

[al baby]

STUPID

[Columbine]

I can tell you that the person saying the Colorado Springs Sam's Club is in a perfectly safe area is nuts.

South Academy Blvd. is a high crime area.

If I was working there at night I would want the doors locked but I wouldn't work in a building if I couldn't open the door myself.

[Deepest South]

Emergency exits are for, gee? Emergencies! Wal Mart likely threatened termination because of the several hundred times throughout the system the doors were opened for a quick smoke.

[L.N. Smithee]

Retailing experts and Wal-Mart's competitors said the company's lock-in policy was highly unusual. Officials at Kmart, Sears, Toys "R" Us, Home Depot and Costco, said they did not lock in workers.

I am not a "retailing expert," I am a former job-seeker. Back in the early 90's, I filled out an application for work at Target, which was relatively new in the Bay Area. The lock-in policy for the position I applied for was explicitly explained to me, and it was one of the reasons why I didn't want the job.

Methinks this is another example of piling-on Wal-Mart, who have been vilified by the likes of failed California goober candidate Cruz Bustamante and unions who can't wrap their mitts around their employees' throats. Heck, maybe Wal-Mart's logo should be a target!

[bobsatwork]

I can't believe some people are so stupid that they are afraid to leave via the fire exits...I knew there was something wrong with the article title, implying that employees CAN NOT exit in an emergency - and sure as sh**, they have FIRE DOORS. Anyone can leave whenever they want. And do not feed that "I was afraid to use the fire door" excuse to me. My office is near an alarmed fire door. Guess what? People use it all the time - for convenience, not emergencies.

[L.N. Smithee]

One night, shortly after closing time, Mr. Ellsworth had an asthma attack. "My inhaler hardly helped," he said. "I couldn't breathe. I felt I was going to pass out. I got fuzzy vision. I told the assistant manager I really needed to go to the hospital. He pretty much got in my face and told me not to leave or I'd get fired. I was having trouble standing. When I finally told him I was going to call a lawyer, he finally let me out."

IMHO -- I have severe asthma, and this story doesn't ring true to me. Why would a manager tell you 'You can't go to the hospital' if you are too sick to work, and wouldn't be any good to the crew anyway? Sounds to me like the asst. manager plain wasn't convinced that Ellsworth was telling the truth. I would be interested in the other side of this story, if it is not apocryphal.

[freekitty]

Something doesn't ring true about these stories. Most stores like that have usually had a door that employees go through only and they have security working it to make sure they and not unauthorized goods are leaving.

A source told me that he was always told by Walmart to go through the front doors because they have security cameras.

[lelio]

I can't believe some people are so stupid that they are afraid to leave via the fire exit because of company policy.

When you're an illegal alien you'll believe and do anything el jefe says.

[Rebelbase]

"When you're an illegal alien you'll believe and do anything el jefe says."

Yep, my thought too.

[ridesthemiles]

Grocery stores lock the staff inside when the store isn't open to the public, but there always was a person inside with a key. Been there Seen that.

[Mears]

My son is a painter and had a job several years ago in a large,well known department store.They were locked in at night----no big deal as long as emergency exits are available.

[packrat35]

When I worked at Target 20 years ago, they locked us in overnight, but the fire door was available for emergencies. We were told to NEVER use it except for emergencies (fire or medical).

Since this idiot chose to stay in the store when an avaiable fire exit was there, I have no sympathy. Either this is BS or these people are dumber than rocks.

[MediaMole]

Don't they have phones? Couldn't he have called 911 and gotten an ambulance? Even if the building were locked, the fire department would have broken the door down.

If I broke my ankle, I wouldn't wait around until morning.

This sounds like a dispatch from the AFL-CIO news service.

[radiohead]

My son worked at Target last year and works at another mall retailer now. I just asked him about this lock in policy and he said yes, he's been locked in, but there was always a manager there with a key. The idea that you'd have to wait hours for someone to show up with the key seemed a little strange to him.

If there was an emergency, that is what the (duh) emergency door is for. He'd have no problem using it and thinking about what he'd do with all the money after he won a wrongful termination suit against the retailer if they fired him for using the emergency door to go to the hospital.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

"You could be bleeding to death, and they'll have you locked in," Mr. Rodriguez said. "Being locked in in an emergency like that, that's not right."

Just a few paragraphs above he mentions that there was a fire exit...

[discostu]

Yeah like the ACLU isn't drooling over the prospect of suing WalMart for firing a guy for breaking his ankle. These are disposable jobs, get fired by WalMart today get hired by Target tomorrow.