Walmart is 80% Complete with Veterans Welcome Home Commitment

Walmart Inc., through its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, is officially 80 percent of the way to hiring 250,000 veterans by 2020, which it first pledged to work toward in May 2013.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer said it has hired more than 206,000 veterans and promoted more than 30,000 into roles offering greater responsibility and higher pay since the program's announcement. The commitment guarantees a job offer to any eligible, honorably discharged U.S. veteran who has separated from service since May 2013.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, about 1,300 veterans and their families return to civilian life every day. The Veterans Welcome Home Commitment helps veterans, who possess important skills and leadership abilities, find career opportunities at Walmart and aims to ease the sometimes-difficult transition from active duty to civilian life.

Walmart introduced the Veterans Welcome Home Commitment with an initial goal to hire 100,000 veterans by the end of 2018. In May 2015, Walmart revised its goal to hire 250,000 veterans, including veterans hired within the Welcome Home Commitment as well as other veterans hired by Walmart, by the end of 2020. Walmart also changed the eligibility under the Welcome Home Commitment from within 12 months of active duty, to any veteran who has been honorably discharged since the announcement of the commitment in May 2013.

Walmart’s military programs not only focus on transitioning veterans, but also those currently serving and military spouses. The Military Family Promise guarantees a job at a nearby store or club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by the company who move to a different part of the country because they or their spouse have been transferred by the U.S. military. The policy allows service members and military spouses to remain in the same personnel and pay systems and gives them the opportunity to turn jobs into careers.

The company’s programs for past and present military members also include an expanded leave-of-absence policy. 

Walmart Inc. operates more than 11,200 stores under 55 banners in 27 countries, as well as a range of ecommerce websites. It is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer's Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.