The Latest Reason I Don't Shop at Wal-Mart

On the radio this morning, I heard that Northrup Grumman has vowed to continue to pay its employees displaced by Hurricane Katrina for 90 days, even if their job is gone.

McDonald's has promised the same for 2 weeks.

Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart has promised to pay its displaced employees for ... wait for it ... THREE DAYS.

Let's do a little math. Federal minimum wage is $5.15 (which is ridiculous, but I'll save that for another time). There is no minimum wage law in Louisiana or Mississippi, so Wal-Mart doesn't even have to pay that much. But, despite a long record of poor treatment of its employees, we'll give Wal-Mart the benefit of the doubt.

$5.15 an hour x 8 hour days x 3 days = 123.60

Take out about 30% for taxes and Wal-Mart employees have about $85 with which to rebuild their lives.

Well played, Wal-Mart. Way to look out for your own.

Better still may be Wal-Mart's justification: We're helping in other ways.

Which they are, and that's wonderful, but it doesn't excuse this.