Yet Another Wal-Mart Lawsuit

[rbaker]

Nation's largest retailer accused of firing 67-year-old optician over age, high earnings.

As reported by The Associated Press September 22, 2008, 6:10PM ET

Wal-Mart is accused of violating federal law in the firing of a 67-year-old employee from a store in Missouri.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in St. Louis alleged age discrimination in a lawsuit against the nation's largest retailer Monday in federal court.

The EEOC says Yvonne Loskot was fired from the retailer's De Soto store on Oct. 5, 2005 because she was too old and made too much money.
Regional EEOC attorney Barbara Seely said attempts to resolve the matter out of court were unsuccessful.

Loskot, who had worked for Wal-Mart for 10 years, earned $18 an hour as a certified optician. The suit seeks reinstatement, back pay and damages.
Daphne Moore, director of Wal-Mart corporate communications, said in a statement that she could not discuss the specifics of a personnel decision, but "this individual was terminated for violation of company policy." She said Wal-Mart employs more than 350,000 people over the age of 50. She said Arkansas-based Wal-Mart will review the complaint and respond appropriately.

And another article in The St. Louis Business Journal:

A Wal-Mart in De Soto, Mo., fired a long-time employee because of her age, a new lawsuit alleges.

The complaint, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday, alleges that Wal-Mart terminated Yvonne Loskot, 67, “because she was too old and made too much money,” the commission said.

Loskot, who worked for Wal-Mart for a decade, earned $18 an hour as a certified optician, making her the highest-paid employee in the De Soto store’s optical department.

Wal-Mart said Loskot was fired for other reasons.

"While we do not discuss specifics of personnel decisions, I can tell you this individual was terminated for violation of company policy," said Daphne Moore, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. "We will review the complaint and respond appropriately."
In fiscal 2007, the commission received 19,103 charges alleging age discrimination, a jump of nearly 3,000 from the previous year.

[Wes]

I find this hard to take seriously. I have several optician friends who work at Wal-mart, and nearly all of them make more that $18. Wally starts their licenses (in my state) at $20; it's ludicrous to think that they'd fire someone for making too much at $18. I'd bet its something on the lines of a HIPPA violation, or attendence.
Let the bashing begin...

[harry a saake]

18 you gotta be joking, when i worked for walmart last year it was 29.80 an hour in NC

[Johns]

Let the bashing begin...

What's to bash? I'd like to see their side of the story.

While I'm no fan of WM, I have an even stronger dislike for folks who go "sue happy" when they see a big target.

[tigerlilly]

Wal-Mart pays its opticians barely $10 an hour in my area, even with experience.

Having worked at the Big W in my younger years, right at the time Sam Walton died and his greedy, soulless spawn took over, I would not be at all surprised if this story is accurate. I've witnessed very similar actions by other retailers in the past few years. Why have a 50+ year old, who has enough years in to pull down a healthy paycheck, when you can hire some twit right out of college for less than half the pay? That's the norm rather than the exception, and they all do it.

[NavyChief]

There is more to it, it just isn't in the papers. And with privacy issues, WM won't release the real reasons so unfortunately will have the bashing and accusations of the fired woman to deal with.

No one wants fired for any reason and will look for someone else to blame.

I have a 64 Dual Licensed optician working with me and he is not in jeapordy of losing his job for age or pay.

I think it's all the usual WM bashing BS.

[FullCircle]

I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, but I did my part-time there years ago. But this...

Wal-Mart pays its opticians barely $10 an hour in my area, even with experience

I don't know where you are, but sounds like poor negotiating on the part of the opticians. When I was there in the later '90s, I was making well more than that in an unlicensed state with a lapsed ABO. They paid for me to take the test and gave me a $.25 or $.50 per hour raise on top of that.

I'd want to hear more about this story before I jump on the bash Wal-Mart bus.

[Jacqui]

I'd want to hear more about this story before I jump on the bash Wal-Mart bus.

..but bashing Walfart is so much fun. :D :D

[tigerlilly]

I don't know where you are, but sounds like poor negotiating on the part of the opticians. When I was there in the later '90s, I was making well more than that in an unlicensed state with a lapsed ABO. They paid for me to take the test and gave me a $.25 or $.50 per hour raise on top of that.

I'd want to hear more about this story before I jump on the bash Wal-Mart bus.

One of my coworkers is a former WMVC optician, and her roommate is an optical team lead. This is not poor negotiating, they really do pay that poorly.

I have no hesitation to believe it because I've seen it with my own eyes. I know of at least three people who suffered the same fate as the petitioner in this lawsuit. It's not just WM - age discrimination is happening all across the retail sector. It's more about money than about age, but it's a very real problem.

[Metronome]

Delete.

[Chris Ryser]

Nation's largest retailer accused of firing 67-year-old optician over age, high earnings.


"While we do not discuss specifics of personnel decisions, I can tell you this individual was terminated for violation of company policy," said Daphne Moore, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. "We will review the complaint and respond appropriately."

In fiscal 2007, the commission received 19,103 charges alleging age discrimination, a jump of nearly 3,000 from the previous year.

Not being in love with WalMart.................i have noticed that this company has never discriminated against old and sometimes even slightly handicapped people.

I assume they are treated as normal employees and get fired the same way and reasoning as as normal younger people, ...................but then use the reason of having been let go because of age.

[cocoisland58]

How do you account for the discrepancies in pay in this thread? From "barely 10.00" per hour all the way to 29.80. And for the same corporation too. Very odd. I'd like to know more about that. Seems a big joint like Walmart would have a pay scale set in place that went across the board.

[FullCircle]

..but bashing Walfart is so much fun. :D :D

You're right, it really is. :D

But I also worked for a mfg that sold to them so I've got issues about them in that respect as well

[FullCircle]

How do you account for the discrepancies in pay in this thread? From "barely 10.00" per hour all the way to 29.80. And for the same corporation too. Very odd. I'd like to know more about that. Seems a big joint like Walmart would have a pay scale set in place that went across the board.

I'd think that it's due to some states being licensed and others not. of course, that's simply a guess.

I'm sure the other part is due to the need to keep payroll costs low/not knowing the value of a skilled optician. Combine that with people thay either don't know their own worth or can't negotiate and you'll end up with whacked out pay differences.

I do recall interviewing with one store in the mid '90s and being given an offer of $8.50 per hour after being told that they could be in the same ballpark as what I was asking for. Once the mgr slid that number over to me, I laughed and told him not only was he not in the same ballpark as me, he wasn't playing the same game.

[Jubilee]

Just like Real estate.. Location.. Location.. location..

Here in the midwest where there is no licenses and hardly any jobs, they start low.. and people I know who work in the WM labs make less than $8/hr. One optician with a few decades of experience and who had worked for them in the past was told he could come back and he would be making less than $10/hr.

Of course, it isn't just chains either. Many opticals both corporate and private pay just a pittance.