The day after Thanksgiving, often referred to as "Black Friday," marks the beginning of the most important season of the year for Wal-Mart. The Bentonville, Arkansas based discount retailer relies heavily on its fourth quarter sales to boost profitability for the company, and this year is no different for the world’s largest employer. However, there is one notable exception this year from past years. In order to offer their patrons even better deals than before, Wal-Mart executives plan on “rolling back” employee health benefits.
Chairman Michael T. Duke elaborates:
“By cutting back even more on our company sponsored health benefits, we can pass these savings on to the consumer. We believe this will generate the extra sales necessary to ensure a blockbuster quarter for us.”
He also went on to justify the move from a tribal and utilitarian perspective:
“By not paying for our senior employees’ prescription drugs, we will be saving money for their children and grandchildren (since they will be shopping at Wal-Mart). So what’s the difference? It’s all in the family. Also, since they still have the most life to live, it is in the best interest of society to maximize their material happiness in order generate the most overall output.”
Unconfirmed sources have reported several instances of human resources personnel skipping down the halls of corporate headquarters, humming the tune to Wal-Mart’s catchy marketing jingle, “Roll ‘em back, Roll ‘em back”.
