Walmart is one of the must-visit eCommerce businesses for avid shoppers. The company spreads across the USA, Mexico, Canada, China, even Africa. 

Walmart provides a wide range of products, which include groceries, health & beauty products, electronics, toys, jewelry, etc. 

Additionally, they don’t shop for any random product. Instead, the majority of items sold by the eCommerce giant are brand-name products. 

Excitingly, these brand products are made in highly qualified factories based in the United States of America.  

Walmart is the largest retailer in the United States of America and boasts over 2.3 million employees. The company’s policy on absenteeism is one of the reasons they have one of the best groups of associates and have been at the top in the industry for a while.   

Now, this brings us back to the question. 

How many absences are allowed at Walmart?

The number of days an associate can be absent before getting fired depends on the point that your absence attracts. Coming late to work attracts half-point, calling off attracts a point while no call no show is four points. 

If you’re a new employee, Walmart may decide to terminate your appointment on a no-call, no-show absence. Leaving work early also attracts one point.  

 Before now, if you haven’t worked with the company for more than 6 months, you’re only eligible for 5 points within 6 months. But if you have been with the company for over 6 months, you automatically have 9 points. 

Now, all associates only have 5 points. Thus, if you get 5 points due to absence, your job could face termination.   

Read more to understand the Walmart attendance or absence policies further

Understanding The 5-Points Walmart System

Walmart introduced a new system on absence from work to ensure employers are always present to help customers in the stores’ busiest period. The program worked somehow. It made associates start taking their jobs seriously. 

Here is how it works.

A worker that calls in late or doesn’t show up to work as scheduled gets 1 point. Unforeseen absence on a holiday or major event dates as revealed/known to associate from their calendar will result in a whopping 3 points.

If you’re 15 minutes to 2 hours late to work, you’ll receive a half-point (0.5. Leaving work before the scheduled time (15 minutes to 2 hours) gets you half (0.5) points.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that all associates are given the same 5 points, regardless of their status, working years, or new or existing staff. So it’s a level playing field for all.  

Reporting An Absence At Walmart 

Absence at work is not a crime, only if there is/are the genuine reason(s). At Walmart, it’s crucial to report an absence scenario beforehand. There are different platforms where an associate can seek permission for absence. These include;

Call Walmart Associate Hotline:

If you’re seeking permission to be absent from work, all you need to do is call Walmart’s hotline. Once done, it gets registered, and you’ll receive a confirmation number. You must write down this number, as your manager may request for it. 

The machine will give some instructions before transferring the caller to the store line. At this point, the caller manager/HR will then permit them after you have stated the reasons for your requested absence. Quite a process, but do the calling if you can to avoid putting your job on the line.

The App/Web complaint Registration:

Here’s another means of registering an application for absence. Just download the Walmart app and register. Sign in and lay your complaints. There are even options where associates from the same stores can switch calls to fit into their schedules.

The Clocking System At Walmart

Walmart’s clocking system makes use of the GTA time clock app. All the associate needs to do is swipe their badge over the clock and it will register the time of arrival to work. Employees can also use it to get their meals.

All of these advancements gave Walmart an edge in managing its teeming employees. And keep in mind that you cannot cheat the system. 

The Reward For Not Being Absent

Increase bonus in cash:

Since associate gets punished for absence at work, they should get a reward for not being absent. Associates are incentivized for keeping good/perfect attendance. 

An associate can now enjoy an additional 25% bonus on the quarterly cash bonus they get on store performance if they maintain perfect attendance. Those with ½ -point to 2-points can also enjoy this increased bonus, but not up to 25%. 

Protected paid-time-off (Ppto):

Aside from monetary rewards, Walmart also awards protected PTO for her hourly staff. It will serve as a bank time for them to make use of when the unexpected happens. An associate can have up to 48 hours of Ppto, equivalent to 6days for 8 hourly shift workers.

 Absence covered by protected PTO doesn’t affect an associate and won’t accrue points. You can only use protected PTO to cover up unexpected absences from work. The other PTO is used for approved absence which must be agreed upon beforehand.

The Lifespan Of Points At Walmart

Points don’t accrue continuously nonstop at Walmart. If they do, most associates would have lost their jobs. Accrued points are discontinued after six-month durations. 

Covid-19 And Absence At Work In Walmart

Walmart has to revise some of its policies just like most multinational cooperation did during the Covid-19 spike. One of such policies is the 5-point system and absence of workers.

Getting her staff vaccinated will reduce being fall ill of Covid-19, thereby reducing sick leave. So, Walmart placed a $75 incentive for staff yet to get vaccinated and willing to get vaccinated.

Furthermore, the new policy gives waiver for those absent from work cause of Covid-19 related issues. Not only that, but the policy also provides paid time off to employees if they’re to remain at home due to Covid-19 related reasons.

Also, staff who cannot return to work after the 2 weeks quarantine period may be eligible for up to 26 weeks of additional pay replacement.

Conclusion

Walmart’s 5-points policy programs on absence aren’t to witch-hunt or punish employees. The idea is to help instill discipline in the employees. And this has somehow paid off. It made Walmart associates up and doing. 

So, if you have plans to join Walmart, ensure you’re not someone that goes to work late. Know that when you fail to show up to work, you get one point. Missing Walmart’s busiest day (holiday periods) attracts 3 points. 

When an associate accumulates up to 5 points, they may receive a sack letter. Hardworking associates get rewarded too. So, ensure you’re punctual to work. Punctual associates get 25 percent bonuses and protected pay-time-over. 

However, since the advent of the global pandemic, Walmart has lightened this policy a bit. The company does understand the uncertainty the global pandemic has created and thus, doesn’t want workers to be punished unnecessarily. But then, that doesn’t mean associates should start missing work intentionally.