Dive Brief:
- More women and people of color have made their way into senior leadership positions at Walmart’s U.S. corporate headquarters, according to Walmart’s 2023 Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report. This year, women comprise about 37% of officers, which is up from about 32% in 2020.
- Additionally, about 28% of U.S. officers are people of color, compared to about 25% in 2020. More Asian and Hispanic talent also now work at Walmart U.S., the April 19 report said.
- Notably, global representation of women in Walmart leadership positions has increased, despite the mass exodus of women from the workforce following the coronavirus pandemic’s onset.
Dive Insight:
As the largest private employer in the U.S., Walmart regularly makes headlines for a variety of reasons.
It’s often the target of lawsuits and federal investigations. In one of the most recent examples, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Walmart, alleging it violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. A three-judge panel unanimously ruled that the company’s practice of barring pregnant workers from light duty (a work status typically reserved for workers injured on the job) did not violate the PDA.
Earlier this month, however, Walmart was back on EEOC’s radar; the commission has alleged the employer violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by firing an epileptic worker for epilepsy-related absences.
The company also makes headlines for its hiring and its firing — mainly in the form of warehouse layoffs, as well as some corporate ones — and its employee benefits.
Walmart’s minimum wage is $14 now — a move that bumped its average hourly wage to $17.50 — and the retailer announced last spring that it would pay its long-haul truck drivers up to $110,000 in the first year. Additionally, Walmart added fertility benefits, including doula coverage, to its total rewards roster.
It also makes waves for its learning and development initiatives: The Walmart Academy aims to equip workers with on-the-job skills and seeks to imbue talent with leadership skills. This, on top of its existing Live Better U free college program, underscores the company’s talent strategy: expansive benefits, along with competitive compensation as a total rewards offering.
