Teen Quits Job at Walmart Over Intercom, Attacks Management

Jack Phillips
Updated:

A 17-year-old Walmart employee apparently quit his job over the intercom at a Canada store last week.

“Attention all shoppers, associates, and management... nobody should work here—ever,” Jackson Racicot said over the speaker at the Walmart in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Racicot then shared the video, where it racked up more than 1,000 shares, comments, and media coverage.

“Our managers will make promises and never keep them,” Racicot said to everyone in the store. “Management will try and save money every step of the way including cutting benefits and a full-time associate down to part-time even though he worked 40 plus hours a week.”

“I’ve been a loyal employee here for over a year and a half, and I’m sick of all the ... bogus write-ups, and my job,” he also said.

According to the Edmonton Journal, Racicot said he had another job lined up before making the announcement.

Walmart has since issued a statement obtained by the publication, saying the company knows about the video.

“We are aware of the video circulating online and are disappointed by this incident. Respect for all individuals including our associates and customers is a core value at Walmart. We are looking into this matter and will address it internally as required,” the firm said.

Praise and Criticism

In the comments section of his video, some praised him but others warned him about backlash from potential employers.
“Pretty sure you’re going to go far in life with that level of maturity,” one person sarcastically told him in the comments section.

Another commenter was more direct with his criticism.

“I’ve been in the workforce for over 50 years. You end up with some employees that are just plain worthless. You can’t always tell from the interview whether someone is going to work out, but I know for sure I would not hire this kid. Good luck to him. I’m sure there is some company looking for a 17-year-old to be the boss,” the commenter said.

Added another: “I worked for wal-mart (sic) for 13 years this was a very inappropriate way to quit ... I had some managers that treated me badly but I also had my good ones.”

But, Raciot said that he does not regret doing it. “I went into this knowing what will happen,” he told the Journal.

"Attention all shoppers, associates and management... nobody should work here—ever,” Jackson Racicot said over the speaker at the Walmart in Grande Prairie, Alberta, pictured above. (Google Street View)
"Attention all shoppers, associates and management... nobody should work here—ever,” Jackson Racicot said over the speaker at the Walmart in Grande Prairie, Alberta, pictured above. Google Street View

Racicot said that after he posted the video, he heard from Walmart employees all over Canada describing their experience working at the firm.

“Someone from Newfoundland, someone from Quebec, another from Ontario. It’s not just our [expletive] Walmart. It’s nationwide. It’s a corporate thing. It’s how the managers are trained,” he said, The Hill reported.

Walmart, Target Sued Over ‘Made-in-China’ Toys

The viral video isn’t the only bad news that Walmart has received this week.
Target and Walmart were sued by the New York Attorney General’s office for selling Chinese-made toys that had 10 times the legal limit of lead, according to the AFP news agency on Dec. 12.

“No parent should have to worry that their child’s toy may be toxic. As we allege, these companies imported and sold toys with dangerous levels of toxic lead,” New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood said in a statement.

The lawsuit said that the companies sold thousands of Cra-Z-Jewelz jewelry kits in 2015 and 2016 before a recall was issued.

Target and LaRose Industries imported the jewelry kits from China from August 2015 until April 2016.

Walmart said it removed the toys after the recall was issued. “We take our customers’ safety seriously and require our suppliers to meet all safety standards,” the firm said in a statement to AFP.

Jack Phillips
Jack Phillips
Breaking News Reporter
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter who covers a range of topics, including politics, U.S., and health news. A father of two, Jack grew up in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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