Walmart Changes Cart Rules for Workers After Safety Concerns
Business Insider • • business
Key Points:
- Walmart updated its policy for employees picking online orders, reducing the maximum number of bins on carts from eight to six to improve visibility and safety, and instructing workers to push carts when visibility is clear and pull them when it is limited.
- This policy change reverses a recent directive that required workers to pull carts, which was criticized by employees for causing carts to bump into their heels.
- Walmart emphasizes safety for both employees and customers, responding to past lawsuits related to injuries caused by pushed carts, including a $1.2 million judgment in 2024 from a 2020 incident.
- The company’s e-commerce segment continues to grow rapidly, with 27% sales growth in the latest quarter, while Walmart seeks to speed up order fulfillment through technology like digital shelf labels that help workers quickly identify items.
- Reducing bins per cart may decrease the number of orders filled per trip, but Walmart is balancing efficiency with safety as it handles hundreds of online orders daily across its 4,600 stores.
