If you work at Walmart, you may be wondering if Walmart has an inclement weather policy that it holds to. This is a good question, especially in areas where bad weather is very common during certain times of the year.
This can be an important thing to know about when you start working at Walmart. Especially if you suspect that bad weather may get in the way of you being able to get to work at certain times.
Keep reading to find out what kind of inclement weather policy Walmart has and how it applies to you as an employee.
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What is Walmart’s Inclement Weather Policy?
Walmart’s inclement weather policy ensures that Walmart locations will stay open until the weather gets too bad to do so. If the weather is a risk to the building or those inside, it will close until the weather has passed.
Walmart is also required by its policies to follow the state or local guidance in association with bad weather. If the guidance indicates that the weather is a danger to people, Walmart will most likely sh*t its doors until the danger has passed.
If the state or local guidance is simply issuing warnings, Walmarts will most likely stay in business. They will only shut down if the weather is an imminent danger to the building itself and the employees.
This is how most companies run as they do not want to close willy nilly of poor weather conditions. Most places will stay open until it is clear that it is a risk to do so.
Walmarts located in areas where bad weather is a common occurrence may have special policies in place. Such as policies for:
- Flooding
- Wildfires
- Tornadoes
- Hurricanes
- Snowstorms
- Hail
These areas will most likely have specific policies for bad weather that often occurs there. This helps it to function more smoothly and know how to better assess the risk involved in staying open.
Can I Call in to Walmart Due to Bad Weather?
If the weather is bad and you do not feel comfortable driving to Walmart, you can always call in. This is something that your manager may expect if the weather is particularly bad that day.
This is very common for employees who live outside of town or when they do not have reliable transportation. During times of bad weather, this is something that the store will most likely expect to happen.
You can technically call in no matter what is going on, whether it is due to weather or something else. Though you cannot depend on getting paid since you won’t be actually going to work your shift.
It is within your right to call in whenever you like, you just will miss out on that shift’s earnings. If you do this too frequently, you may also end up getting into trouble.
Walmart does have the right to ultimately fire employees who it believes to be unreliable and flaky.
Will Walmart Still Pay Me If It Is Closed Due to Bad Weather?
There are no regulations on whether or not Walmart will still pay employees if it closes due to bad weather. If it has to close after employees have already shown up, you will most likely still be paid for your full shift.
If you did not show up but called in instead, you will most likely not receive payment for that shift. Walmart is not obligated to pay employees who call in, even if they have a good reason for doing so.
Walmart is only technically required to pay employees for the work that they have done. So even if you do show up, you still may not get paid for your full shift if it is cut short due to the store having to close.
What is the Inclement Weather Policy at Walmart?
The inclement weather policy at Walmart is very flexible as it is not required to close unless it feels that this is necessary. Most Walmarts will stay open until the bitter end unless a state of emergency is called.
Most Walmarts will watch the state or local guidelines to see when the weather is considered to be a serious danger. If that happens, it may or may not close its doors, though it is not required to and can decide to do this on its own.
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