Wal-Mart ties bonus to worker diversity

[Champ]

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) - Wal-Mart Stores, facing lawsuits for alleged gender bias and unfair treatment of workers, will cut bonuses for top executives if it fails to adequately promote women and minorities, the CEO announced Friday.

CEO Lee Scott told employees and shareholders at the company's annual meeting that bonuses, including his own, would be cut up to 7.5 percent this year and 15 percent next year if the company does not meet its diversity goals. The aim is to promote women and minorities in proportion to the number who apply for management positions.

"If 50 percent of the people applying for the job of store manager are women, we will work to make sure that 50 percent of the people receiving those jobs are women," Scott said.

The annual meeting comes at a time when Wal-Mart's image has been battered by a series of lawsuits and fierce opposition from communities trying to block the company from building stores in their towns.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/06/05/build/business/45-walmart.inc

[Bertha Venation]

1. How lame.

Why not NO bonus? Why not "we'll increase your pay & hours across the board simply because it's the right thing to do?"

I STILL ain't gonna shop there.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Ooooooh...a whole 7.5 to 15%

Now if he cut their BASE SALARY, I'd be more impressed. This is more substance-less crap from Wal-Mart; they can still kiss my ass.

[candy]

3. I don't believe a word that comes out of a CEO's mouth.

They don't give a rat's ass for diversity,the employees or anything else that doesn't concern their own fat paychecks and bonuses(or is it bonii?).

[PVnRT]

4. Promotions are worthless at Wal-Mart

You are either become a complete corporate drone, or get fired. And the pay ain't great, despite the idiots they parade out on their commercials.

[Kurt Remarque]

5. i wonder...

if this applies to the gazillion workers whom they exploit worldwide? a 3 cent bonus maybe?