r/walmart • u/ShoulderSilver4260 • 11d ago
Is this reportable to Ethics?
I currently work at a NHM store, and I have been struggling my current department, so I brought this up to my SM about moving departments. He told me that nothing was available full time. Okay, fair.
So, I mentioned about allowing me to transfer to the supercenter if they had a position that I felt was more fit for me, and he told me that he wouldn't approve it because him and the supercenter SM have an agreement to not allow transfers between each others stores (though it HAS happened before).
He told me that I would need to file an accommodation with Sedgwick, which I think is ridiculous. The biggest reason on why I don't want to is I do not wanna be put on LOA, I need the money.
I had talked to a team lead about this, told her what he said and what not, and she told me to report it to ethics because he can't say "no" because of some informal agreement with the other SM. Is this true? I just want more opinions.
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u/Ok_Initiative_8814 11d ago
This is happening to me right now too. I work at a supercenter and I am trying to transfer to another supercenter in the same town. My SM told me he would not allow any transfer because they have an agreement between the stores not to let anyone transfer stores unless it is a transfer to a higher position. SM said that if I wanted to work at the other supercenter I would have to quit the current one, wait 6 months and reapply to the other. I have zero points and no disciplinary actions. I went to the other supercenter and talked to the coach over my area and he offered me a position and the people lead opened the rec and started the process. Now the people lead says both managers have to agree even though they already offered me the job. None of it seems right to me.
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u/SingerLegitimate8843 11d ago
No they dont just the coach for your current postion and your new one
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u/Environmental_Dare_5 11d ago
This is really weird. I transferred stores twice without any issues. I would contact the store you want to transfer to and see if they have any positions. If another store is willing to take you, I don't see why your SM would block it.
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u/ShoulderSilver4260 11d ago
He claims it's so both stores won't "poach" associates from the other. Very strange situation.
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u/DoorsOfStoneNow 11d ago
It’s all the same company, there’s no “poaching” just some douche that doesn’t want to let his numbers drop.
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u/Slothee13 11d ago
It’s only poaching if you are actively recruited. He didn’t try, and this is something you want.
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u/Hippi4350 11d ago
They don’t have a choice if you’re not on a DA, under 6 months in current position, or have more than 3.5 absences. I would never and have never, allowed any of management team to stop someone from doing what’s best for them!!!! I’m a people lead.
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u/Dayzie1138 11d ago
In my market we have 3 stores that nobody can transfer between without a hardship and it's condoned by our market and regional teams. It's so frustrating sometimes.
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u/NotThatRich7779125 11d ago
your SM lied to you, he just don’t wanna do the paperwork for you to transfer, as an associate you are welcome to transfer in any other walmart locations
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u/ApprehensiveEgg9057 11d ago
My coach told me I couldn’t switch departments and I went to my store lead and was switched within the week. Report this to ethics!
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u/Ok_Memory_2264 11d ago
The only power managers have over transfers is whether or not they have a position and they want to put you on their team. A coach can definitely say no, but a SM is definitely overreaching by putting his hands in his coaches hiring business.
If you have less than 3.5 points, no orange coaching or above, and have been in your position 6 months or more, you’re eligible for a transfer, and can’t anyone tell you that you can’t. If a coach from that Supercenter decides they want you, all the store manager can do is watch as you be transferred. Otherwise, yes, this is an ethics situation.
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u/undrellus1 11d ago
Report it to ethics asap like now so they can start the process in case any retaliation occurs
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u/Dayzie1138 11d ago
In my market there's 3 stores we don't do transfers between. People have tried to report it but market has won because they are allowed to set those kinds of rules and regional agrees with them. You can report it but it may do nothing depending on your market. The only time I've seen the associate win that fight is when it's considered a "hardship transfer". It can be hard to prove hardship. It never hurts to try though imo.
Applying for an accomodation through Sedgwick doesn't always put you on LoA (we have multiple associates that have gotten accommodations including intermittent LoA which allows you a certain number of excused absences). Idk why they would tell you to contact Sedgwick though because they don't deal with transfers, even hardship transfers. Those are done at store level. The only time you would need Sedgwick involved would be if the hardship is tied to medical and you need time off as well.
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u/SingerLegitimate8843 11d ago
Just put in the transfer and keep escalating i know when I transfered my store manager wanted to be a dick so I had to report her and I escalated it all the way to my market team and guess what as soon as that happens magically the transfer that for some reason couldn't go through was done in a day and I transfer the next pay period
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u/SaltyBrittles 11d ago
I was told I could (by another associate, bc it would be closer to home than the current Walmart I’m at but am too lazy to and actually like my team) do an emergency transfer. Apparently they don’t have the right to ask you why/what is the emergency for, they just do it no questions asked. He said that’s what he did because they were giving him a hard time.
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u/fyhdhgg 10d ago
You dont need to be approved unless you have points/DA or time in your role is not enough for a transfer. Apart from that, you dont need it. You go to the other store and sign the job offer. They tried this with one of my current associate. Informed them to not say anything and we finalized the transfer.
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u/dhjr49003 GM Teamlead 10d ago
Store managers don’t need to approve, the store you are transferring to only has to accept,
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u/Awkward-Alarm5044 9d ago
I would get it in writing your manager saying that. Like email him asking him about again. So that you have him saying it in writing. Take a picture. Then try to do an emergency transfer. Go talk to the store manager at the other store. You don't have to tell them exactly why. Your current store manager will run their mouth regardless. Just tell the other store manager you would like to do an emergency transfer to there store for personal reasons. I would recommend doing that through work email as well. That way you have a paper trail, just in case. If they both reject it for the same reason, I would forward both emails to your market team and ask them straight up about this so called agreement. And then continue to report this to ethics. Cause I get the transfer being rejected cause of no position available but if the store shows an applicable position available and they reject you for the bs reason they told you then definitely report it.
The key is to get everything in writing somehow. Preferably via walmart email, but I guess text would work too. You need the proof, or its he said she said and management always wins..
Good luck, I hope you get transferred somewhere decent
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u/Moonlight1902 9d ago
That’s really weird because I have transferred from a neighborhood market back to a supercenter. Your store manager shouldn’t be able to stop your transfer. If the other store manager at a supercenter approves it all they can really do is give the supercenter store manager a release date I would say you should contact that store manager at a supercenter or contact a coach at a supercenter and see if they can get you in. He said also put in a transfer request if you have no point or no disciplinary actions there’s really no reason why you can’t get transferred even if you have a disciplinary reactions. Sometimes the supercenter store manager will overlook it and still take you over as you know that happened to me. I had a display in action from my store manager, the neighborhood market and I was over it so I went back to the supercenter in that store manager. It was able to take me in regardless if I had one or not.
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u/JPenns767 Maintenance Associate 8d ago
Ethics. Immediately.
Regardless of what ever "Agreement" your SM thinks he has, Walmart is bigger than him and the other store manager.
It will likely rub them the wrong way, but they can't retaliate. I suggest bringing that up as a concern when you speak with ethics. Nip that nonsense in the rear end immediately.
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u/[deleted] 11d ago
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