Walmart Slammed as ‘Unsafe and Reckless’ Employer in ‘Dirty Dozen’ Report

Meghan Hall
·5 min read
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Walmart wants its customers to “Save money, live better”—but does it uphold the same standard for its employees?

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) released its annual “Dirty Dozen” report Thursday, highlighting a group of 12 “unsafe and reckless employers, risking the lives of workers and communities by failing to eliminate known, preventable hazards.”

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Superstore sovereign Walmart earned a spot on this year’s list. The report’s release comes just ahead of Workers’ Memorial Day, honored annually on April 28. The day looks to honor workers who have been killed, injured, disabled or made ill due to their work.

Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of National COSH, said the report aims to make consumers, agencies and employers aware of the issues plaguing workers at these companies.

“We release the Dirty Dozen each year to shine a light on what’s going wrong in U.S. workplaces—and to support workers who are joining together to make it right,” Martinez said in a statement.

Selection and criteria

Criteria for being selected for the dishonor include the level of severity of safety risks to workers; being a repeat offender of safety standard or legal violations; a company’s ability to “influence broader workplace standards” and more.

In the past, Amazon and Dollar General have also been included in the Dirty Dozen; neither were named to this year’s list, rendering Walmart as the only major retailer cited by National COSH for 2024. It’s joined by other large companies like Uber, Lyft, Waffle House, SpaceX and Tyson Foods.

Though Amazon avoided a third consecutive year on the list, Roger Kerson, a spokesperson for National COSH, said the e-commerce giant is far from off the hook.

“They may not have been on the list this year, but I wouldn’t say we’re in a position to say, ‘Oh boy, all those problems at Amazon are solved,” Kerson said.

On a call that highlighted stories from several workers at the affected companies, Martinez said the labor group sympathizes with employees’ struggles at the hands of the companies National COSH slammed in its new report.

“These are multibillion-dollar companies that have and should provide the resources to ensure that workers are getting home safe to their loved ones,” Martinez said.

Where National COSH said Walmart has done wrong

The report points to several reasons that led to Walmart being placed on this year’s list, starting with the death of store associate Janikka Perry.

Perry died of a heart attack in the bathroom of the Walmart store she worked at in North Little Rock, Ark., in 2022. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s fatality inspection data shows no record of Perry’s death. OSHA’s policy stipulates employers must notify OSHA within eight hours when an employee dies on the job.

National COSH’s report also references high levels of gun violence in Walmart stores.

Records from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) show that since January 22, 2014, Walmarts across the U.S. have seen 1,139 gun-related incidents.

Martinez said putting workers in harm’s way is an unethical move by Walmart.

“No worker, anywhere, should ever have to choose between earning a living and risking their life. Especially not at a multibillion-dollar company like Walmart, which is an industry leader and the nation’s largest employer,” Martinez told Sourcing Journal. “Walmart workers are saying loud and clear they need better sick leave policies and real protection from workplace violence. Walmart executives should start listening—now.”

And though employees have called Walmart to the table to ask it to take a hard look at its gun violence prevention efforts, they haven’t been successful in forcing the company to move the needle.

Last year, Cynthia Murray, a Walmart associate of more than 20 years and a founding member of United for Respect, filed a shareholder proposal requesting that Walmart “conduct a third-party, independent review of the impact of company policies and practices on workplace safety and violence, including gun violence.”

Though nearly 24 percent of shareholders voted in favor of the proposal, Walmart ultimately shot it down, with the company itself citing its commitment to the health, safety and security of its customers and employees.

Murray, unsatisfied with the rejection of her proposal, plans to file again in 2024.

In 2023, the company allocated less than 1 percent of its $7 million lobbying spend on causes related to “discussions related to health, safety and investments in associates,” according to Open Secrets.

A spokesperson for Walmart said the company makes every effort to ensure its employees have a safe workplace.

“We take a comprehensive approach to promoting a safe shopping and work environment—including policies, training, monitoring, and response—as well as regular reviews of security protocols and practices. While we don’t publicly discuss security measures we take in our stores or parking lots, the safety of our associates and customers is a top priority.”

But Murray said the Unspun partner doesn’t do enough to protect its in-store associates.

“Walmart’s founder Sam Walton said it himself —‘You must listen to what your associates are trying to tell you.’ Every day, we tell Walmart leadership that we are not safe, that our voices are not being heard,” Murray told Sourcing Journal. “When it comes to fixing workplace hazards, the associates know what the problems are, and we have solutions to fix them. But Walmart needs to stop seeing us as just a number, and instead listen and work in partnership with us to create a safer workplace.”