In a statement, Wal-Mart said the audit was not a valid study and should not be taken at face value. The document was distributed to top Wal-Mart executives and has emerged in lawsuits against the company.
The audit, obtained by The New York Times, covered employee records at 128 Wal-Mart stores nationwide. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company has 1.2 million domestic employees.
James Finberg, an attorney who represents Wal-Mart employees seeking class action in New York and Washington state on grounds the company didn't pay for all hours worked, said the audit shows Wal-Mart broke its own rules. "The policy book says the right things, but the pattern and practice is clear -- managers tell people to do the work, no matter how long it takes, and they tell them they're not going to pay them overtime," Finberg said.
The company said its auditor looked at numbers alone and did not examine employees' circumstances.Labor lawsuits against the world's largest retailer are pending in 40 states, with class action granted in California, Indiana, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.
