Walmart veteran greet and Special Olympian David Catlin is one of the plaintiffs. He has cerebral palsy, which makes him concerned about being fired due to recent changes in store procedures.
One of the most essential elements of any company, especially Walmart, is its store greeters. Some believe that this position is only for the elderly, yet many are physically disabled people as well. They are the first person that every consumer sees when they enter the shop. They are expected to be well-versed on all aspects of the business – layout, rules, and so on.
The greeters are the store’s “face,” so they must be cheerful and attentive at all times. To existing and new consumers, they should have a helpful and friendly demeanor.
For a decade, Adam has worked at a Walmart Supercenter in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania as a greeter. When the firm decided that this April they would eliminate their “greeter” position, he was warned that he could lose his job.
This year, Walmart has informed different locations around the United States that it will be replacing their 1,000 front door greeters with “hosts” starting in 2019. However, the new position required new physical standards that some of the greeters would not be able to meet, such as Adam.
Greeters must be able to lift and carry things weighing up to 25 pounds. Another requirement is that the store ‘host’ be capable of standing for eight hours at a stretch during their shift. Adam has severe cerebral palsy, which causes him to have little manual dexterity in his hands as a result of being legally blind.
Since he is confined to his wheelchair, he is also restricted. Because of this, persons with comparable impairments to Adam could not be transferred into a different job at this firm under its new rule; thus, the firm has to let them go.
Adam’s mother, Holly, felt compelled to speak out about her worries for her son after reading the news. She thought that her young adult was being discarded from a job he genuinely enjoyed and performed with his whole soul. As a result of this, Walmart faced a nationwide outcry!
The new restrictions are not acceptable to many people. They believe it is unjust. However, according to Walmart, this would be a wonderful start for their disabled greeters in finding new employment. This is why it was no surprise when Craig Johnson, a retail consultant, referred to the company’s position as “major-league botch.”
In a company-wide email to Walmart’s US store managers, the President and CEO, Gregg Foran, announced that several greeters had been offered new employment for additional jobs at their stores.
This is not likely to be a MAJOR change from the company’s original plan, but Foran claims that the firm is taking various measures to assist their disabled greeter. One of them is to extend the 60-day period given to Walmart employees so they may look for new employment within the corporation.
The company has hired Adam and other greeters with cerebral palsy to work in the self-checkout department. It is anticipated that the new hosts for Walmart will begin greeting their customers soon, not only that, but they will also assist in preventing shoplifting and perform other tasks that can help keep the store tidy.
