However, all these cheap prices mean that Wal-Mart has to “Rollback” elsewhere and that takes place in employees’ wages and benefits. Long time workers still get paid the minimum wage, which forces them to rely on government food stamps. Moreover, Wal-Mart doesn’t give full-time work, yet it enforces a 24-hour availability thus preventing workers from finding a second job.What is Wal-Mart’s corporate responsibility in all of this? Is it just to provide to the costumer’s demands and the shareholders a fabulous return? No, it is more than that. As one of the richest companies in the world, it has a responsibility to provide for its employees, maybe not in the $50K+ range, but enough so they don’t have to depend on government handouts.

Yet, Wal-Mart continues to give only low wages and scant benefits and it even dismisses employees who speak out in protest. This reminds me of the 1700s in which factory workers were at the mercy of the owners. So what can consumers do? Consumers can take their business elsewhere, forcing Wal-Mart to change its practices.

In short, when a business loses sight of its corporate responsibility, it is the responsibility of the consumer to remind the business of it through “voting with their dollars”.

 

References:

Dwoskin, Elizabeth. “Wal-Mart Workers’ Black Friday Strike.” Businessweek.com. BloombergBusinessweek, 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-11-16/wal-mart-workers-black-friday-strike#r=nav-f-story>.

Walmart.com. Wal-Mart, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://www.walmart.com/>.

Photo Credits:

Walmart Logo. N.d. Photograph. Walmart. Yourlogoresources.com. Logosources, 17 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://www.yourlogoresources.com/walmart-logo/>.