It’s been months since Walmart (WMT) said it could require corporate employees to relocate to its headquarters in Arkansas or risk losing their jobs — but that decision is now pushing some executives to resign.
That’s been the case for Cheryl Ainoa, the chief technology officer at Walmart-owned Sam’s Club, who said she is leaving her position after almost five years because she doesn’t want to relocate to the retail giant’s home base in Bentonville, the retail giant confirmed to Quartz in an email.
In May, Walmart announced plans to eliminate a whole lot of corporate roles in Texas and California, requiring distant staff to relocate to definitely one in every of its three most vital hubs in Arkansas, Latest Jersey, or Northern California. This decision sent shockwaves through the workforce, particularly for the 300 employees who learned during a Zoom call — where they weren’t permitted to speak — that they would want to maneuver or face potential job termination.
Aiona, who helped oversee innovations akin to the exit technology that allows customers to go away the warehouses without receipt checks, will remain in her position until February. She will be succeeded by Sanjay Radhakrishnan, Walmart’s senior vp of worldwide technology.
Walmart and Sam’s Club didn’t immediately reply to Quartz’s request for comment.
Earlier this yr, Walmart said it could allow certain employees to work remotely, but only part-time. In an employee memo, chief people officer Donna Morris emphasized that in-person collaboration would enhance workforce effectiveness, foster innovation, and strengthen company culture.
Layoffs for staff who hadn’t yet relocated began on Aug. 9.
Since then, the retail giant has aimed to cope with its worker shortage with a pipeline program designed to funnel hourly employees into higher-level positions. As a component of the three-year initiative, the company hopes it would probably train and certify staff to fill roles as pharmacy technicians, opticians, and software engineers.