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Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 5:23 pm
by Alpha8472
They are giving employees a case and a protection plan. The phones are already very tough and waterproof. They are probably trying to bribe employees from quitting. The job is so terrible that they are trying to give them free stuff to keep them from quitting. Then if they quit, they have to give the phone back.

Also since employees were using their personal phones already to use the app to find items for customers, it would be an employee expense. The company would have to provide employees with phones to use or pay employees for using their personal phones. This is just to avoid a lawsuit.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 5:30 pm
by storewanderer
Alpha8472 wrote: June 4th, 2021, 5:23 pm They are giving employees a case and a protection plan. The phones are already very tough and waterproof. They are probably trying to bribe employees from quitting. The job is so terrible that they are trying to give them free stuff to keep them from quitting. Then if they quit, they have to give the phone back.

Also since employees were using their personal phones already to use the app to find items for customers, it would be an employee expense. The company would have to provide employees with phones to use or pay employees for using their personal phones. This is just to avoid a lawsuit.
Employees shouldn't even be allowed to have a personal phone on the floor with them (I am stuck in the 90's again).

I have noticed an employee who helped me with something in Target used their personal phone to access the Target website/app instead of the zebra once in the past.

Perhaps it is a two way street now- you get to have a personal phone on the floor during your 8 work hours, then you also get to have a work phone on you and keep your eye on it for work related scheduling stuff or whatever during the 16 hours you are off work.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 7:01 pm
by Romr123
I made a recent complaint in a Target survey about checkout--got a call from a "hidden number" from the store. When I asked, the manager said "well I'm using my personal phone (!)

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 7:41 pm
by rwsandiego
The company-paid personal/company-use cell phone is actually a very good idea. As timekeeping and scheduling apps become more prevalent the employees will need smartphones to use them. One of the arguments in favor a higher wages is smartphones have become a necessity, not a luxury. This addresses that argument. It also makes sense from a technology management perspective. If all employees are using the same model smartphone the technology department has one model of phone to mess with. App-creation is easier and so is securing the company's information.

To @storewanderer's point, there are still some job categories where a personal cell phone cannot be brought onto the floor. Call centers and data centers often prohibit cell phones because an employee could take a picture of a customer's information. They also prohibit printing and using personal email for the same reasons. It isn't foolproof, of course. However, barring any phones in a retail environment is simply archaic. Unless the employer provides a work-use device, there's no way for an employee to assist a customer with finding an item on the company's website.

FWIW, Android phones do a better job of segregating "work" and "personal" apps and information. My phone is a Galaxy Note and my tablet is an iPad. My work instance of Microsoft Office is completely separate from my personal instance on my Galaxy. On the iPad, all of my accounts, both personal and work, are accessible through the same set of apps. I have to be very careful which notebook I use in One Note and which email I use. It is a royal pain the bee-hind.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 4th, 2021, 10:25 pm
by Brian Lutz
Having a work phone separate from a personal phone is becoming a pretty common practice in a lot of places. If nothing else, it allows the company's IT department to ensure that internal resources are only being accessed from known (and managed) devices to mitigate potential security risks. In a worst case scenario, a personal phone being used to access internal resources on a company network could become a vector for a ransomware attack or something similar.

In my job at a major tech company I have a work phone that in theory I could use as a personal phone, but in practice I hardly ever use for much more than 2-factor authentication and occasionally keeping an eye on my tasks and work-related group chats while I'm out and about. I used to be able to do a lot of this from my personal phone, but that is no longer possible because the company now only allows managed devices (with appropriate security certificates) to access those resources. I only use my work phone for work related things, and my personal phone for the rest.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 5th, 2021, 8:31 am
by Super S
Brian Lutz wrote: June 4th, 2021, 10:25 pm Having a work phone separate from a personal phone is becoming a pretty common practice in a lot of places. If nothing else, it allows the company's IT department to ensure that internal resources are only being accessed from known (and managed) devices to mitigate potential security risks. In a worst case scenario, a personal phone being used to access internal resources on a company network could become a vector for a ransomware attack or something similar.

In my job at a major tech company I have a work phone that in theory I could use as a personal phone, but in practice I hardly ever use for much more than 2-factor authentication and occasionally keeping an eye on my tasks and work-related group chats while I'm out and about. I used to be able to do a lot of this from my personal phone, but that is no longer possible because the company now only allows managed devices (with appropriate security certificates) to access those resources. I only use my work phone for work related things, and my personal phone for the rest.
In my line of work I deal with special orders regularly. I sometimes have customers ask me to text them, but am not provided with the means to do that. The customers sometimes say "well the other guy said he can text me" even though I explain that I am on a landline. In some cases I will let a manager handle it. I will not use my personal phone for that, especially when I don't know the people.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 5th, 2021, 9:44 am
by storewanderer
I understand having a work phone if you are a salaried employee but not if you are an hourly employee... did we already forget all the lawsuits over "off the clock" work?

Also using the same device for work use and personal use strikes me as not a great idea regardless of if the device is from work or the device is one you personally bought.

My favorite is a work flex allowance where an employee can buy various things (a phone being one of those things; among other things like a gym membership, diet plan, etc.) and get reimbursed by the employer. At least in that case however the phone is the employee's.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 6th, 2021, 12:48 pm
by Bagels
We’re reading too much into the new phone.

Basically, they’re launching an app that will allow employees to clock in and out. Once employees are clocked in, the app makes other apps inaccessible. With the app, employees can communicate (probably via wifi) with other staff and do routine tasks. Employees can use the app only when clocked in.

My guess is that the app will replace a plethora of technology - time clocks, in-store phones, walkie talkies, computers, inventory scanners, etc. My guess is that because Walmart cannot legally force employees to download and use the app, they’re offering the phones as an incentive. Looks like half the employees requested the phone whereas the other half didn’t (and are probably okay with using their own device... maybe they got a cash or gift incentive).

But Walmart is covering the phone only, not the service. Employees will use Walmart’s WiFi to control the app.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: June 6th, 2021, 4:20 pm
by Alpha8472
The app works on any phone and has been out for months. The only features that do not work outside of the Walmart store are the timeclock and the ability to talk to other employees. The app began as an app to show employees their work schedule. Then it added a time clock, search for merchandise feature, and a walkie talkie feature. It really does not do much else.

Re: Walmart observations

Posted: August 3rd, 2021, 10:00 pm
by Alpha8472
Walmart has completely stopped selling cigarettes and e-cigarettes. It is shocking. Does anyone smoke anymore? Where do the cigarette smokers go now for cheap cigarettes?