Pros
Wal-Mart has had a lot of trouble with "unpaid overtime", "working off the clock", and other pay related suits. In my experience, Wal-Mart has become very cautious about these situations and advises all employees to avoid them--upon penalty of termination for everyone involved. The Open Door policy allows you to speak with any member of management at any level. If you are dissatisfied with in-store management, you can go to the district, regional, or upper levels of management in a consecutive line. The contact information is available to all associates. Wal-Mart supplies a free of cost nurse advice line, as well as "resources for living", which provides career help and counseling. Wal-Marts 1-800 number for absences, while sometimes inconvenient, provides electronic proof of your absence or tardy request and forwards your call to the store when you're finished. You receive regular performance evaluations at which point the only way to not receive a raise is to be fired--something unlikely but not impossible for a review. It's convenient to be able to get almost everything your household could need at the Supercenter stores. 10% discounts are also very nice, but usually not applicable for groceries. However, stores have recently been applying the discount to produce. This is a great place for those looking to get real-world job experience for the first time or after a less than stellar job history. If you truly want to work, you can almost definitely find a position at Wal-Mart as they are almost constantly hiring. Paid training and computer modules are very helpful to those just starting out. The number of employee's who follow the "10 foot rule"--the practice of making eye contact with, smiling, and greeting those that come within 10 feet of you--is really great and it tends to spread throughout the building. After working at Wal-Mart while following this "rule", it's hard not to strike up conversations with strangers and it makes it much easier to maintain eye contact and conversation during future business situations. Wal-Mart matches every dollar you put into their stocks, and allows for fairly easy pay-outs. Wal-Marts direct deposit system is wonderful--you can deposit into upto two checking accounts and two savings accounts, as well as recieving part or all of your check in a paper check. You receive a deposit slip and detailed pay stub every pay period, and you can cash your paper checks free of charge at Customer Service.
Cons
In 2006, Wal-Mart implemented a strict attendance policy of 3 non-consecutive unpaid absences in a 12-month period. Consecutive absences up to three days count as one absence, and anything beyond that required a Leave of Absence as covered under FMLA to protect your job. Your third absence, or non-serious infraction, will be met with a "Personal Discussion", a meeting with the employee, an assistant manager, and in some cases an hourly manager such as a Support Manager or Customer Service Manager. They will discuss what the problem is and "ask if they can help." In this step the meeting is usually very informal. No information will be entered in to the computer, but in some cases you will sign a form. The second infraction will be met with Verbal Coaching. This meeting will be relatively the same but you will definitely sign a form, verifying you received this verbal warning. The third infraction (or fifth absence) will result in a "Written Coaching", at the end of which you must sign a longer form and fill out a computerized version of a similar form with two members of management. The next step is a "Decision Making Day." There will be another meeting, more paper and electronic forms to sign, and you will be given one full shift of paid time off to reflect on whether this is the job for you, and what you should do to keep it. You will also be required to write a one page report which you will turn into the manager to be filed and typed into the computer. The last infraction results in termination. Some offenses will result in an automatic D-Day, or automatic firing depending on the severity of the situation--such as causing harm to another person, sexual harassment, or theft. Coaching is is a level based process and lasts for 6 months, or a year in the case of a D-Day. If you are coached for attendance, and then commit another first time infraction, you will still be brought up to the next level of coaching. This is important because most of the people who are fired from Wal-Mart are terminated for attendance reasons. The disciplinary system is for the most part fair, but is almost totally automated. Only Store Managers or Co-Managers have the ability to completely override the coaching system, which leaves little room for personal discretion. This was done to create prejudice, but most stores have enough managers that problems with prejudice can easily be kept in line by a human system of checks and balances--one they already have set up in the Open Door Policy.
