Walmart Late Policy: What You Must Know!

Have you ever wondered how Walmart handles employees who are late or miss work? Well, they've set up a system to keep things running smoothly. Let's dive into how their late policy works and what it means for their employees.

With a whopping 1.6 million staff working for Walmart in the US, they plan to keep things rolling smoothly. Let's look at what happens if you are running a bit behind schedule.

---

Table Of Contents

What Is the Walmart Late Policy?

Walmart's Late Policy is like a set of rules. If you're a little late (between 15 minutes and 2 hours), they'll take away a tiny thing called a point. They'll give you one point if you're pretty late (more than half of your shift). And if you don't make it to work at all, you'll score two points. But don't worry until you've got five points – that's when things might get a bit tricky.

So, let's figure out how this point system works, how you let them know if you're late, and what cool stuff can happen if you're super punctual.

---

Understanding the Walmart Point System

The Walmart Point System is designed to monitor and manage employee attendance, ensuring a consistent and fair approach to addressing infractions related to attendance, punctuality, and overall commitment. Employees can accumulate up to five points within a six-month period before facing potential consequences such as termination. Points are given for infractions, such as missing a work shift or leaving early without proper notification.

Here is a summary of the point system in a table format:

Infraction	Points
Missing a work shift without proper notification	1 point
Leaving early without proper notification	1 point
Being 15 minutes to 2 hours late for a shift	0.5 point

Please note that if an employee accumulates five points within a six-month period, they may face termination. It is essential for employees to be mindful of these attendance policies to succeed in their roles within the company.

---

Impact of Being Late to Work on Schedule and Pay

When employees arrive late to work, it affects their attendance record, work schedules, and pay. This can lead to reduced working hours or shifts for those who are repeatedly late, resulting in lower overall pay.

Moreover, their reliability might be doubted, potentially harming their chances of getting promoted or taking on more responsibilities.

---

Outcomes of Being Excessively Late

Having too many points due to being late can lead to various outcomes. Walmart's point system is built to ensure employees are responsible for their attendance, and the seriousness of the consequences increases as more points are added. The potential results for frequent lateness include:

1. Verbal caution: Managers might give a verbal warning for the initial instances of lateness.
2. Written notice: If being late continues, workers could get a written warning as official documentation of the problem.
3. Taking action: Repeated lateness can lead to more actions like probation or suspension.
4. Termination: In extreme situations where an employee gathers too many points, the company might decide to end their employment.

---

Reporting Absences or Delays at Walmart

To report your absence or lateness as a Walmart associate, you have a couple of options. The website offers a dedicated button for registering absences. If that's not accessible, a direct communication with your manager is necessary.

Running late or unable to make it on time? Need essentials but stuck? You can always dial the Walmart Associate Information Line at 1-800-775-5944 for help.

In the past, there were specific protocols for calling in sick. Now, the company is more flexible. Just make sure you take your sick day and follow the proper procedure.

---

How Many Times Can You Miss Work at Walmart?

In case of an unexpected absence on a holiday shift, employees will receive a maximum of three points. Walmart mandates its staff to work a minimum of 480 hours each year, with increased hours during busy seasons. This covers all shifts and timings, excluding breaks and lunchtime.

Various forms of employee absence exist, such as time off, personal or family emergencies, and uncontrollable unforeseen situations.

Whether absent for the entire holiday shift or just a portion, termination consequences differ accordingly.

---

Duration of Walmart Points Validity

Walmart associates do not earn points continuously throughout their time at the company. To ensure fairness and accommodate unforeseen emergencies or obligations, the points of each associate are reset every six months.

Furthermore, the points system does not consider authorized absences. This means that Walmart employees don't need to be concerned about job security if they miss five or more shifts within six months due to reasons such as:

• Medical accommodation
• Pregnancy
• FMLA leave
• Bereavement

---

How Walmart Rewards Good Attendance?

Encouraging steady work attendance is a key part of Walmart's updated policy. Associates who maintain excellent or satisfactory attendance records are recognized and rewarded.

Both full-time and part-time Walmart staff are qualified for increased cash bonuses every quarter. The allocation of Walmart's quarterly bonuses is based on several factors, with store performance being the primary one. Back in 2019, when attendance-related bonuses were rolled out, hourly associates collectively received nearly $800 million in bonuses.

Team members with flawless attendance get an extra 25% on top of their regular quarterly bonuses. Even those with one or two points on their record could still qualify for a boosted bonus.

---

Resetting Your Walmart Points

As part of the Walmart team, you won't find a way to manage your Walmart points directly. You don't have the power to change how many points you're given or reset them on your own.

However, don't worry about these points sticking forever. Walmart has a built-in plan to refresh employee points every half-year. Just keep a low profile, don't rack up more than 5 points, and Walmart will automatically wipe your slate clean every six months.

---

Effective Ways to Ensure Timely Attendance

Maintaining consistent attendance at your Walmart job is vital, especially since Walmart employs a point system to monitor when employees are late or absent. Here are some useful hints and techniques to guarantee you're always on time.

1. Prioritize Sleep

Make sure you get enough sleep each night to work your best. Develop a bedtime routine and aim for at least 7 hours of good sleep. An employee who's well-rested is more likely to be punctual and perform well.

2. Prepare the Night Before

Select your outfit, pack lunch, and get work stuff ready the night prior. This saves morning time and cuts the risk of delays from last-minute tasks.

3. Use Time Apps

Make use of time and productivity apps to stay organized and manage your schedule. These tools help handle different tasks and ensure you leave for work with extra time.

4. Plan for the Unexpected

Unexpected things like traffic or bad weather can slow you down. To tackle this, plan various routes and know alternative ways of getting to work.

5. Stay in Touch with the Manager

If you think you'll be late, inform your manager ASAP. Call the Walmart Associate Info Line, your store, or use the OneWalmart site. Quick communication shows your dedication and can lessen the impact of being late.

6. Use Multiple Alarms

Deploy a range of alarms to make sure you wake up as planned. This lessens the chance of oversleeping, a common cause of being late. Switching up alarm sounds prevents you from getting too used to a single sound.

---

How Strict is Walmart's Point System?

Walmart maintains a rather strict point system for attendance. For instance, if you are late or absent frequently, amassing more than 5 points in half a year could lead to your job termination.

In the past, though, things were more relaxed. Before the 2019 revision, Walmart was lenient, permitting up to 9 points for tardiness and absences. Following the update, they trimmed down the cap to just 5 points.

---

Bottom Line

At Walmart, being on time for work is really important. If you're late or miss work without a good reason, you get points against you. If you get too many points, you could get into trouble or even lose your job. But if something urgent comes up, let your boss know. Walmart is also okay with adjusting work hours to help you balance your life better. Just remember, being late a lot isn't okay, even if they're flexible sometimes.

Featured Reviews

Related Posts