Walmart started small like many of the retails that began their ventures. It was a single store to provide convenience, comfort, and cheaper items for their customers. A thrust towards affordable items to mark their identity in the broader market. In the process, help people save some money to help them live a better life. Let us know about that the Walmart jobs for senior citizens.
Sam Walton started with one store on July 2, 1962, with the undying mission in his mind. His quest was unprecedented and unheard of in history at that time. He decided to open up his first-ever store in Rogers, Arizona, and it was not without any help from friends.
The store was technically a retail outlet that sold things a household would need. Brooms, Coleman lanterns, Raid insect killers, wipes, Thermos vacuum bottles, ant killers, Hunter flashlights, and swats. The list of products eventually grew in the weeks and months that came after.
Before the turn of the decade, the company was elevated into a corporation of men. It officially declared $12.7 billion in sales in just seven years. It is now almost sixty years in the official count since, and it has spread most massively, both in revenue and space.
The company presently has 10,500 stores of similar type or derivatives in names. It has also made its own name-brands counting at 48 so far. It has a physical presence in 24 countries around the globe today. That does not include electronic commerce that is being preferred to date because of the pandemic.
With a workforce of more than 2 million people globally, the income is something to blow one’s mind, to say the least of it.
Who Is A Senior Citizen?
This one will not end with a single debate. This is not because nobody wants to be called a senior citizen but because of the zest within.
A man can be 70 years old, but he runs every day, chops wood, cooks three meals, and even smokes. A woman may be eighty years old, but she sketches with clarity, speaks fluently in three languages, and reads with the eyes of an eagle. Who is old?
Because of that, the government stepped in and stabilized the meaning of a senior citizen. But even that
is still subjective. The American Social Security System sets the age of a senior citizen at 65 years old. But it contradicts itself since there are people getting pensions at age 62 and others at age 67.
It is practical to adopt the policy of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). It has embraced the understanding that retired persons, or senior citizens, are 50 years old and above.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
With a large number of employees, Walmart has no other choice other than to adopt the policy of equality for all workers. This is applicable in all stores, the brands they have made, and affiliates of the Walmart chain.
Such a population of workers under one company makes the company operate like a well-oiled, coordinated machine. Likewise, Walmart, for its part, has to conform and implement the policies initiated and enforced by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Discrimination
The Commission has a lot of discrimination issues under its stewardship. Such would be like discrimination on religion, ethnicity, race, or color. There is but one that is of great concern for senior citizens under or seeking employment. It is with regards to age discrimination, be they in the private or public sector.
The other types of discrimination may affect a senior citizen at work to a certain degree but not as blatant as age. A senior citizen of Asian origins may find difficulty in working in a Walmart store where most workers are Caucasians half the age. The problem would lie in the performance level of the senior citizen. That is to come at par with the other co-workers because of age.
According to the Commission, age discrimination is when the treatment of an applicant or employee is given less favor arising from the apparent age of the employee or applicant from age 40 and older. This discrimination is not limited only to hiring situations but also includes pay raises, training, promotions, assignments, and benefits, to name a few.
The Commission is explicit in defining a company, institution, or organization that is under this policy. These are to be companies, and the like, that have 20 employees or more. Therefore, these companies must enforce and apply an equal employment policy.
Harassment
Casual remarks meant to amuse, tease, or anything of the same manner is not prohibited by law. But anything over that is not encouraged by the Commission. The frequency and severity of harassment will be unlawful if it results in an unfavorable working condition for the victim. Such may also lead to the termination of employment or demotion in rank on the victim.
Anyone in the workplace may be the culprit, a supervisor, manager, a co-employee, from the same department or not. Harassment in a Walmart store may also be instigated by a person not employed by the company, a customer buying an item or two, or a supplier delivering goods.
Redress for Senior Citizens
Aside from other functions, the Commission is the place for addressing inequities in the workplace. A senior citizen may lodge a complaint with the Commission but must follow specific rules to do so. There is also a time limit for the victim to file a charge which is usually 180 days. This can, however, be extended depending on the statutes of the state one is in.
The collection of data is necessary for both the victim and the Commission. This is the data that concerns the events that led to, during, and after the harassment of the victim. Such data will be compiled by the Commission to come up with a decision. The decision may favor the victim to proceed with the formal complaint or not.
Walmart Recommended Jobs for Senior Citizens
For a senior citizen with ample experience working in a particular field, there is a wide array of choices one has in the hiring vacancy shelves of Walmart Inc.
Take as an example a senior citizen who graduated years ago with an accountancy degree. One can apply at Walmart for the same role but perhaps with lesser responsibilities. Another instance is a senior citizen, a military veteran, with a few tour duties as an electronics technician.
These two senior citizens can choose any related jobs from the categories Walmart has classified. These categories are corporate, technology, healthcare, and distribution. These are self-explanatory in themselves. Sub-categories are placed where they fit closest. Fulfillment and driver opportunities can be found in the sector under distribution. And jobs related to aviation are under the corporate category.
50 Years Old to 65 Years Old
Being an equal opportunity employer by choice, Walmart has given senior citizens belonging to this age bracket the whole range of job openings they need. With the absence of discrimination whatsoever, ideally, relevant experience, education, and certifications for the selected job are the requisite during the interview.
With the assumption of a physically fit and mentally competent senior citizen at this age bracket, here are some job positions that one may choose to apply for with the relevant experience.
Aviation Line Service Technician
This is a position not available at all locations of Walmart. This requires the employee to observe rotating holidays. Further, unscheduled duties on weekends may occur where work is during the early morning hours. This is so even though this employee has a set schedule of work from Monday to Friday.
The position does not require a candidate of high technical skill like an aircraft mechanic. This position is to do the little extras for the aircraft’s worthiness. Duties like internal and external cleaning, lavatory servicing, refueling, tire pressure checking, moving, and tugging the light plane to its proper position inside the hangar. This would also entail communication with tower control for aircraft passage through the taxiway towards the hangar. This is a position listed in the Corporate Grouping making the work regular and full-time with salary-based compensation.
Accountant II, Tax – Finance (Property Tax)
This is not a managerial position but one with high qualifications. As a senior citizen in this age bracket, a job less than a manager is ideal to avoid facing high responsibilities. This, however, has a preferential qualification of a higher degree in finance or accounting.
A senior citizen with previous and extensive experience in this field will have the advantage. The familiar environment, the routinary work is already ingrained deep. Report generation, data analysis, forms validation, and payment budgeting are areas alien once accepted into the Walmart accounting and finance workforce.
Staff Pharmacist
A few of these open positions are available at various locations with sign-on bonuses of as much as $10,000. There are also a few locations that require a Pharmacy Manager with double the sign-on bonus. But, to be consistent in our approach to less stressful employment, we will stick to the lower level of responsibilities, the Staff Pharmacist.
The Staff Pharmacist will extend the usual duties of the pharmacist in a store setting. These may be filling the correct prescription, advice on health care and health products. The position will also be a mentor and guide for the incoming associates and interns. Customer service, pharmacy operations, stockings, and requisitions are among the topics to impart.
Truck Drivers
There are many vacancies for the position of a truck driver. Some even have sign-on bonuses at $8,000. These are fleet drivers that stay on the road most of the time. Because of this, Walmart truck drivers balance family time with work time on the road through a flexible time schedule that gets the truck driver to be home once a week.
The Walmart truck drivers get to have much higher pay than other truck drivers at $87,000 in the first year alone. This also comes with the usual benefits accorded to all positions in the company. Benefits such as insurance, leaves, and others. The job has the lowest turnover rate in the industry. Such makes most Walmart truck drivers avail of the 401K option for retirement.
65 Years Old to 75 Years Old
The top limit for the age of a senior citizen may be higher in some Walmart locations and on the physical condition of an applicant. Some are officially in the defined meaning of being a senior citizen but do not feel the aches and pains experienced by most senior citizens.
Here is a list of job positions in the Walmart corporate structure in retail and wholesale outlets of the conglomerate. The jobs may conform to our premise of having lesser responsibilities. Still, employees have to comply with basic policies and regulations involved.
Member Specialist (Sam’s Club – USA)
The Member Specialist’s duties are many and straightforward. These could be giving assistance to a store member or answering customers’ questions. Such may also be directing a path through the lanes or reviewing the member’s to-buy list. One also has to clean the area, re-stock, identify shrinkage, expired orders, and others. A membership is needed to avail of the wholesale benefits of the store, whether physically or online.
Fuel Station Associate (Walmart’s Store)
As a Fuel Station Associate, one will help in the operation of the fuel station. This will include cleaning of air and fuel pumps and the surrounding areas. The associate will be responsible for the stocking of products for the grab-and-go customers inside the mini-store. The job has the inclination for those that prefer to work independently. It is, of course, within the bounds of company policies and regulations.
Cart and Janitorial Associate (Walmart’s Store)
The first and the last employee of Walmart to be in contact with any particular customer. A pleasant and amiable personality, in any weather, is required of the Cart and Janitorial Associate. As the title implies, the associate is responsible for providing carts to customers and retrieving these to the cart area. The associate will also be giving time to clean the surroundings of the parking lot, the sales floor, and restrooms.
Auto Care Center Associate (Walmart Store)
An avid car specialist. To be precise, this is a car maintenance man of sufficient experience. The tires, batteries, filters, wipers, brakes, and the overall cleanliness of the automobile are on the list of duties. Requisite to the job are certifications to operate many of the powered equipment in the auto shop. If deficient, this can be augmented with near-future training. An associate must strive to give the first and last positive impression to the customer. One will need to have a driving license beforehand.
Cafe Associate (Sam’s Club)
There is no minimum educational requirement for this work. There will be compulsory training for the position which the applicant will need to undertake. Previous food handling and foodservice experience will be preferred. The applicant needs to have the mindset of being the owner, and a team player, also. Added to that, one must be a techie and a brand advocate of the store.
Conclusion
With its concentration on retail and wholesale trading, the Walmart conglomerate has customer service and satisfaction at the central core. That is why the company expects all its employees to conduct themselves, prim and proper. Greeting and serving the customer at all times and in any weather conditions.
With senior citizens, management’s perception is that they are more responsible and reliable employees. This is in comparison with the younger ones because of the experiences the seniors already have. They also need the money because of depleted Social Security checks and the immobility caused by the pandemic.
Almost 25% of the retail workforce in the USA are aged 55 and older. This is data from the US Department of Labor. Of that number, 7% are hired even at age 65 or more in retail stores like Walmart.
American senior citizens can do more work than just be a shopping cart provider, collector, and mover. It is with great relief for senior citizens to have an employer like Walmart. An employer that is amenable and that ascribes to the federal government equal opportunity policy. Senior citizens need to earn their keep for practical reasons.
