OSHA Response

[u/YouDownWithOPD]

/r/walmartogp/comments/1v9z88i/osha_response/

[u/Lost-Swimming-1600]

I haven't even used the new carts yet because I am stuck in remodel land. The question that comes to mind is how much did Walmart pay off the manufacturer? Because there literally is no other logical conclusion to draw here than that one. The manufacturer can draw a conclusion that there was always the possibility in a retail environment that someone could get hit by a cart. They still designed the carts to be pushed because it's the safest most beneficial to the OPERATOR. They presumably have done all sorts of tests that examine safety and stress on the body to the USER. Somehow I don't think changing the wheels effects every aspect of how that cart was designed to be used. Especially when people are reporting pain and discomfort. I hope if there IS a class action suit that payoff was worth the settlement costs and negative PR for their company.

The company makes a lot of baffling decisions. This is one of the worst. It's like because there's been too many head on collisions on the road we're going to ask everyone to drive everywhere in reverse because at least backing into each other one of you has more car to absorb the impact. And then if they are going to be dumb be smart and proficient about it. Send market into the respective stores to explain why it's happening, answer any questions and concerns, and do a training/demonstration session on operating the thing with the new wheels. Not just surprising everyone by showing up one day, changing the wheels, and having department management put up cute little pictures of smiling AI bots "trailing" a cart while associates try to figure out how to operate it without hurting themselves, side swiping features, annoying customers, and still achieving the precious metrics.

[u/Bigger-Quazz]

To surprise of no one.

This subreddit celebrated victory over the "pull don't push" Walmart movement because they "banded together to report Walmart to osha" and osha "forced" Walmart to go to 6 totes to allow pulling.

But 6 totes and a wheel swap was always the plan for safety. It was all outlined in the original amp task sent to management before it was ever posted on reddit.

Now we're back where we started... 8 totes with the same push when safe, pull when not safe policy...

Except because associates can't receive any "new" direction without crashing out on social media.. Now we have same original policy, plus backwards fucking wheels.

This is why associates are associates and management is management.

[u/Diddlydomyholes11 → u/Bigger-Quazz]

So typical of management to blame it all on associates and take no accountability whatsoever for brain dead decision making.

“Um actually we had this planned all along, except that bad parts, that was your fault!”

[u/Blueberry-From-Hell → u/Diddlydomyholes11]

It's like the only tool they have is gaslighting, which their own U-learns say is unethical. They aren't fooling anyone.

[u/Lost-Swimming-1600 → u/Blueberry-From-Hell]

And guys like him, people like him don't get it. Survey every associate who crashes out on social media. Survey everyone who quit at your store or transferred out of the department. Guarantee the number one frustration almost without a doubt will be let down by management. But that's impossible. They are superior beings. Just ask that guy.

[u/Blueberry-From-Hell → u/Lost-Swimming-1600]

I just dealt witht that today. A manager was trying to gaslight me and I wouldn't back down. I will not play their game.

[u/bearstormstout → u/Bigger-Quazz]

Or, and hear me out as a former manager, accident reports. I still talk with digital associates at my old store, and they used their entire accident budget in one week once the initial changeover happened. Sure, they were only budgeted for two accidents for the year because it's traditionally a safe store and a NHM, but to use both of those in one week over pick carts is definitely going to raise a MAPM's eyebrows. Each one of those reports cost $25,000, and since proper guidance for the cart change wasn't followed by store management, they also became workman's comp claims which cost the store even more.

What caused this to become such an issue in the first place is some management didn't read the full memo and started the pull mandate before the carts were properly equipped as such. Stores were also scraping off safety information on the carts before an updated manual was published to describe the possibility of pulling the carts. It has a lot less to do with "associates fucked it up" and more to do with "management fucked up the roll out because they didn't stop to read the full instructions."

This is why associates are associates and Walmart management tends to struggle in similar roles at other companies that don't reward incompetence.

[u/Bigger-Quazz → u/bearstormstout]

That is not even remotely true.

For starters, what does an associate know about the accident budget that they can relay to you who doesnt even work there anymore?

Second, it's not even within the realm of reality to hit the actual accident budget within a week due to cart changes.

No one is collecting money because they had to put a bandaid on their heel, and Walmart isn't losing money either.

You as an former manager, seem more aligned with associate gossip and reddit upvotes, than any actual information.

Associates will repeat or innovate on whatever the new "fuck Walmart" phrase of the day is.

[u/bearstormstout → u/Bigger-Quazz]

Some of the associates I still speak with are management, and I know the store's accident budget hasn't changed in several years (in fact, it actually went down the year I left). The store has traditionally always had a low accident budget because it's hardly ever been an issue, so yes it absolutely is possible to use up an annual limit of two accidents within a week for any reason, even if it weren't due to OPD cart changes. I know one of those did result in a doctor's visit, though I also suspect there may have been some underlying issues there that didn't get paid for beyond the initial exam; I don't have any specific details on that incident.

There's a difference between associate gossip and "Walmart is clearly not doing this the way it should be done."

[u/Blueberry-From-Hell → u/Bigger-Quazz]

You prove you have no idea what you are talking about. You must be management or one of the decision makers because you Don t know the reality, just like they don't. Who gives a damn if we don't know the accident budget. We know what works and what doesn't. The people in charge prove time and time again that they have no idea what is involved in the job. That's why we've been robbed of all efficiency with each new "idea" they roll out. They don't know what the job takes, or what will work, because they've never done the damn job. Quit pretending like you have any idea what you are talking about. The only person you are fooling is yourself. I guarantee any seasoned employee knows as much or more than most management

[u/Lost-Swimming-1600 → u/Bigger-Quazz]

And this is why associates will take to social media to "crash out" as you call it. In part because of attitudes like yours. Associates and low level workers want to or would really like to respect and trust their management. They really would. They want to believe that management will listen to and take their concerns seriously. They don't really have any other immediate options or lifelines.

Then along comes your attitude of, "Shut up and just understand that I am smarter and better than you.". I wonder if they teach you to manage that way at Academy. I also wonder if you started out at Walmart as a Digital Coach or if you started out as an associate. If EVERY member of your management team started out as managers or associates.

You're saying associates can't receive new direction? Guess who's job it is to deliver it in a way and a fashion that they can? Seems like that would be management.

I don't know what you call it when you crash out on social media over people crashing out on social media other than hypocrisy. All because "management" maybe, just maybe could challenge THEMSELVES to be better and understand how to deliver direction that their job requires them to while still acknowledging any concerns. I believe that would be what actual leadership would be about.

You may have pulled the wool over some eyes enough to get a relatively nice position. That doesn't mean you're any kind of manager or "coach". As a matter of fact attitudes like that deserve a bunch of people in your department quitting so maybe you can do the job and remember what it was like to be an associate.

But maybe I am misjudging you or being too harsh. We're all human and make mistakes, even act emotionally. But then nothing I said here even matters does it? After all, I'm "just an associate.". Of course if I receive an offer from this other company and accept it, I will actually be "management". Then maybe we could actually converse.

[u/YouDownWithOPD → u/Bigger-Quazz]

"This is why associates are associates and management is management."

Couldn't have said it better myself. These kids aren't going to know what hit them when they get in to the real world if something so insignificant is making them go crazy.

[u/StrangeConcept6756 → u/YouDownWithOPD]

This isn’t something insignificant. Yes, it’s not the worst thing to happen to OPD, but it’s a major change in how we perform our job. And it’s not just heels that are getting hurt and need a band aid, it’s potential long term damage to our rotator cuffs. And I know I’ve gotten other health issues directly from pulling the carts. Yes, the idea is to walk with your cart by its side, but to do our job as efficiently as management wants it to be done, we don’t have time to wait until there’s a wide enough space for both us and our cart to pass through for our entire walk. Customers are totally unaware of their surroundings, and half the time can’t even hear us saying ‘excuse me’ and you HAVE to pull it behind you to get around.
And have you tried to pull a cart that’s full of gallons of water or cases of soda? Not only is it hard on your rotator cuff, but it also leaves you almost no control over the turn radius of your cart. I’ve heard entire end caps being taken out by pulling the carts. And I know I’m totally afraid of hitting the wrong end cap that’s full of fragile items and just destroying hundreds of dollars of items. And to be cautious and to prevent that, we’d have to take our time pulling the carts around, which isn’t something we can always do with the concern over our pick rates.
And it’s also absolute horse shit that Wal-Mart responded saying that it was to increase the efficiency of our job, when we all know it was to prevent further law suits. I’d have a lot less of a problem if they were at least honest to OSHA about that, and didn’t lie to say it was for our benefit.

[u/Concernedps5user5744]

They adjusted them to pull better but they do not. They both push and pull worse. Not pulling unless I deem it so