Wal-Mart employees have to buy American flags on their own-Fiction!

Wal-Mart Employees Sometimes Have to Use Their Own Money to Provide an American Flag For Display-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor: The message is said to be from a citizen who noticed that there were no flags flying outside of the local Wal-Mart during the patriotically intense days after the terrorist attack on America. That person was told that Wal-Mart does not provide flags to their stores. She called Wal-Mart's corporate offices and was told that if the local store cannot fit the flag into their budget, the only way to have one would be if the employees all chipped-in and bought it.

The Truth: A spokesperson for Wal-Mart corporate headquarters says it is not true that Wal-Mart does not make provision for American flags for display at their stores. Whenever a new Wal-Mart is built, a part of the budget is for a flagpole and flag for display. In the case of stores where an outside flagpole cannot be erected because logistical problems or local regulations, a flag is able to be displayed inside, such as being hung in proper manner. The flag pole and flag are a part of the start-up costs of the store so are technically a part of the store's own budget, but all Wal-Mart stores should have flags and no employees should have to pay for it themselves. The writer of the eRumor does not identify the particular store she is referring to, so we don't know what the actual story is of what she was told.

A real example of the story as it has been circulated:
Greetings, friends, I have run across a situation that I think should be changed; it upset me and so I decided to put it out on the Internet. If you decide to forward this note to your friends, that's fine-if not, that's okay, too. Maybe I'm wrong in feeling this way, but this is what I found on Friday, October 12, 2001.I ran to our local Wal-Mart store before I went to work. I needed a couple of items before we left at noon for a short vacation. While I was being checked out at the counter, I realized that I had not noticed an American Flag flying outside and asked the clerk why there wasn't one. I was told that the policy is that Wal-Mart does not provide flags to their stores-rather, each store must provide their own-at this store, the employees would have to take up a collection among themselves to make the purchase of the flag, pole & flood light. I was sure there was a misunderstanding in that policy somewhere, but needed to hurry off to work, so I didn't pursue the problem. As I drove to work I became more and more upset to think that the Company that always "seems" to encourage patriotism and "Buy American" won't even, in these days of horror and heroism and war on terrorism, provide their stores with flags to show their support!! When I got to work I told my co-employees what I had found that morning and they agreed that I must be mistaken-Wal-Mart would not have a policy that made individual stores/employees purchase their own flag, "for heavens sake"!! My co-employees suggested I just call Wal-Marts corporate offices and there I would discover the truth to this misunderstanding. So, I did-I called the Corporate office and spoke to their representative. By the way, their number is 1-800-Wal-Mart. Do you know what I was told? I wasn't misunderstanding their policy! Each store must provide their own flag-if the store can't fit the expense into their budget, then the employees have to take up a collection. Now, I find this a disgrace. I have always noticed the large flags flying at every Perkins Pancake House-they always fly the flag, even when there isn't a National Emergency. But here's Wal-Mart, the company who has become wealthy beyond measure in this great Country of ours; who claims to be "one big happy family", who recommends we "Buy American", but who cannot/will not provide a flag pole/flag and light to each of their stores wherever they are. Would this be expensive? Oh, somewhat, I agree, but I hear that Wal-Mart is planning to build many new stores in the near future and that, possibly, they will make every existing store into a "super-store". Now, I realize that expanding like that will bring in more money and make them wealthier still-where providing flags to all their stores would only COST money and not add money to their fortune. Maybe, just maybe, not providing flags to their stores and not flying the flag in support of our Country will start costing them more money-maybe I will start looking more closely for the flag before I shop and begin supporting the smaller stores who don't worry so much about the "bottom line", but rather are happy to spend somemoney to show they really love America. Do you think I am really way off base on this, or do you feel the same. Thanks for taking the time to think about this with me-if you feel the same, forward this on to your address list-if not, that's what your "Delete" is for.