Walmart Worker Intervenes To Help Woman In Parking Lot . . . Walmart Fires Worker

Walmart appears to struggle at times to find ways to lower itself in the estimation of the world from stripping people of benefits to firing sick employees to arbitrary treatment of employees to destroying history to alleged bribery to reporting families to police for innocent pictures. Not long ago, the store fired an elderly greeter who was attacked by customer. Now, a Michigan man, Kristopher Oswald, says that he was fired after trying to help a woman being assaulted in the parking lot during one of his breaks. What is interesting is that Walmart is not denying his account.

Oswald, 30, said that he was on his break at 2:30am when he saw a man assault a woman. When he tried to intervene, he says the man assaulted him. When he was able to overcome the man, he says two men jumped him from behind. He was heralded as a hero and then he was fired.

Walmart company spokeswoman Ashley Hardie insisted that “We had to make a tough decision, one that we don’t take lightly, and he’s no longer with the company.” What tough decision? He intervened to help a woman on his break. Most people would view that as an easy decision — reward him. Only in the world of Walmart does the company immediately think that “we need to fire that guy.”

Oswald had worked for Walmart for about seven weeks. He was trying to finish his 180-day probation period when he apparently made the mistake of helping a woman.

As always, I read these Walmart stories and think that are a hoax or are wrongly reported. Then I find that they are actually true. In this case, I have found various stories repeating the allegations and not one denial from the company that it fired Oswald for helping a woman in need. If true, I am not sure what is more shocking: Walmart attitude toward its workers or its customers. Either way, I am long past serious shock over Walmart policies.