Faced with public demonstrations of discontent by its employees, Wal-Mart Stores has developed a wide-ranging new program intended to show that it appreciates its workers and to encourage them to air their grievances. As part of the effort, Wal-Mart managers at 4,000 stores will meet with 10 rank-and-file workers every week and extend an additional 10 percent discount on a single item during the holidays to all its employees, beyond the normal 10 percent employee discount. The program was created during a volatile six months period, starting when the company instituted a set of sweeping changes in how it managed its workers.
See "Wal-Mart Says Thank You to Workers", Michael Barbaro and Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, December 3, 2006