As one of the leading retailers in the world, Walmart is flooded with hardworking and dedicated employees who give their all trying to offer the best service to their customers. However, as human beings, it is completely understandable if they call in sick at times. And in most cases, if the employees follow the proper sick protocol, there are no hassles for the stores.
There are two ways in which you can call in sick at Walmart. You can go to their website, OneWalmart, and report your absence through the portal or you can call 1-800-775-5944.
Reporting sickness for your job can be an extremely daunting experience for everyone. So, I understand if you have any sort of confusion or are fearful about the overall aspect. To help you out, in this article, I am going to provide a proper guide on how to call in sick at Walmart. I will also add some additional details. I would recommend reading the whole article.
How Do You Call in Sick at Walmart?
Before you learn about the sickness leave protocol at Walmart, you should know that it is recommended that you call in sick 3 hours earlier to avoid warning points. By letting them know beforehand, they can easily find someone who can cover your shift so that there are no distressing situations in the store due to your absence.
Although if the situation calls for it and you need an immediate leave, for instance, if you are feeling unwell just as you wake up for your shift, that too will be considered. Emergency situations are always considered because at the end of the day, you are human and your managers are as well.
Calling the sick number
Calling the sick number at 1-800-775-5944, as I have mentioned earlier is the first thing you should try as it is top protocol. The step-by-step instructions are provided below.
Step 1: Upon calling the sick number, you will be asked to input your WIN (Walmart Identification Number). If you do not remember the number, you can take a look here.
Step 2: Then you will have to enter the details of your birth date in the sequence of the month, day, and year.
Step 3: Input the number of the store you work in.
Step 4: You will shortly receive a confirmation code that will connect you to your store manager soon.
Step 5: You will have to state your confirmation number to your store manager and then explain the reason behind your absence. He/she might ask for further details such as sending over a doctor’s report to assess the viability of the situation.
Yet, it is essential that you be aware that the sick number is not in service 24/7. It only works from 8 am till 5 pm that is during the business hours of Walmart. In that case, you could wait for it to become operative or use other methods.
Using the website
You can also use Walmart’s website, OneWalmart to register an absence for your sickness. The instructions to do so are as follows.
Step 1: First, you will have to log into your account.
Step 2: Tap on “Report absence.”
Step 3: You will have to enter the same details that you would have had to through the sick number, that is, your WIN, birth date, and store number.
Step 4: You will come across three options: late absence, absence on that very day, or absence on the next day. Click on whichever one applies to you.
Step 5: Then you will have to explain why you are unable to cover that shift. You might have to explain the injuries or symptoms you might be exhibiting during that time.
Other option
Yes, if you are extremely sick, you can sometimes directly call your store or manager and let them know that they are too sick to even follow the sick protocol. It can work in your favor if you can properly convince them. Yet, calling the sick number or reporting through the website is the professional thing to do, given you are in the position to do so.
Tips to use while calling in sick
Yes, it can appear tricky but there are certain things you can maintain to ensure that your store manager believes you are sick and lets you miss the shift. Having a good relationship with your manager in the first place can seal the deal. Below are some other things you can look into.
- Do not let a coworker know that you are sick and ask him to convey the message to your store manager. It is highly unprofessional and might put you in a bad light.
- It is better if you have already contacted your doctor so that you can inform your manager about your condition more thoroughly.
- Be polite to both the customer service operator and your store manager while on call. Listen patiently and answer all their questions attentively.
- Do not lie about your symptoms.
If your sickness is serious and you might need to be absent for a lot of days, thereby missing a lot of shifts, in that case, you will have to drop by your personnel office. You will need to issue a formal request and it must be approved.
Paid sick leave
Walmart acknowledges the Paid Sick Leave Law and hence grants paid sick leaves to its employees. This accounts for all sorts of workers such as full-time, part-time, those with temporary contracts, etc.
However, not all Walmart stores abide by this law. It depends from state to state. PSL is only available in the following states.
- Texas
- Vermont
- California
- New York
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- Minnesota
- Michigan
- Arizona
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- Washington
- Illinois
Workers who have been in Walmart for more than one year will receive up to 24 hours of paid sick leave as per the accounting year. For those who have been working for Walmart for less than a year. They will receive up to 16 hours of sick paid leave per accounting year.
How Many Sick Leaves does Walmart Grant?
Within a period of 6 months, Walmart will grant 4-5 six leaves. Yet, you will be given points depending on how you took your leave. Any sort of tardiness or absence in Walmart is always associated with warning points.
The Walmart attendance point system
In order to keep track of the attendance of its employees, Walmart came up with the attendance point system. The system basically keeps track of the unreported absences or if any employee comes late for his shift or leaves early. Those who fail to cooperate will receive points, the higher they are, the closer to termination is the employee’s work.
You should also know that everyone’s allocation of warning points gets reset back to 0 so that everyone can start anew. The allocation of the warning points are as follows:
- Leaving your shift early = 0.5 points
- Not reporting your absence = 2 points
- 15 -120 minutes late = 0.5 points
- Missing half your shift = 1 point
If you are an employee working at Walmart for more than six months, you have a risk of employment termination if you are close to 9 points. In case you have been there for less than six months, your job might be terminated upon receiving 4 points.
However, if you follow the proper sick protocol and do all the things I have mentioned above, you will not receive any warning points.
How to check your points
If you want to see how many warning points you have acquired over each 6-month period, you can log into the associate account of your Walmart store. Under the section named “My Time”, you will find all necessary details relevant to your absence, tardiness, etc.
What Happens When You Do Not Call in Sick at Walmart?
You might be in trouble if you call in sick at a later time or if you forget to report your absence at all. Walmart is committed to having an employee of 100%, especially on days such as public holidays, etc. So, if you miss your shift on days like that, the consequences can be severe for you.
Upon missing a shift between days such as from Thursday to Sunday. If you are missing a shift on a holiday or any day which holds equal importance, you will receive a maximum of 3 points as warning points. Your job might be at risk if you have points starting from 5-9 points, depending on the duration of your employment.
After reading this article, you should know all about how to call in sick at Walmart. You should also remember two things. Do not exploit the chance and lie about being sick. A lot depends on you even if you might not be aware of it. Also, doing so is a bit unethical.
Secondly, do not underestimate your condition and lie about not needing extra time even when you clearly do. Your health should always come first. Stay safe and have a good day!
