As part of Walmart’s continued focus on improving and enhancing the store experience for associates and customers, the company recently awarded $6 million in second-quarter cash bonuses to 22,500 hourly associates in Arizona. The bonuses, which were based on stores’ performances from May through July of this year, are part of an overall incentive plan designed to reward associates whose stores have met their performance and customer service goals. Eligible associates can earn these bonuses four times a year.
More than 932,000 hourly associates received a second-quarter bonus, up from 880,000 associates in the second quarter of fiscal 2016 and 687,000 associates in fiscal 2015.
“At Walmart, we believe in investing in our associates and providing them opportunities to learn and grow,” said Paula Ginnett, a Walmart Vice President and Regional General Manager. “We also believe in rewarding associates for performance. That’s why we are proud to award more than $201 million in quarterly cash bonuses to hourly associates nationwide in recognition of the outstanding work they are doing day in and day out to help meet their respective store’s performance and customer service goals.”
Walmart’s Investment in our Associates
· In 2015, Walmart announced a two-year, $2.7 billion investment in our associates. The commitment includes investments in education, training and higher wages. As a result, more than 1.2 million Walmart U.S. and Sam’s Club associates received pay increases on the same day earlier this year.
· Associate training is a key component of Walmart’s associate investment strategy. This year Walmart announced plans to open 200 Academies across the U.S. designed to teach advanced retail skills to department managers and hourly supervisors. More than 140,000 associates are expected to go through the training program each year.
· Walmart is investing in training at all levels of its stores. In February the company rolled out its Pathways training program for all entry-level workers, providing training, education and opportunities for associates, offering them a clearer career path from entry level positions to jobs with more responsibility and higher pay.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of $486 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
