Walmart to provide 740,000 employees a free Samsung smartphone by end of the year

Walmart will provide 740,000 workers free Samsung cell phones before the year’s over so they can utilize another application to manage schedules, the organization declared Thursday.

The telephone, the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro, can likewise be utilized for individual use, and the organization will give free cases and protection plans. The telephone’s retail cost is at present $499.

Representatives might have the option to utilize work features on the new Me@Walmart while on the clock, the organization said. “The idea of this app started as a way to manage associates’ schedules and has grown into our single in-store app for U.S. associates, saving them time and helping them be more efficient,” the company said.

“We believe it’s the first of its kind in the retail industry.”

Up to this point, partners at Walmart stores utilized handheld gadgets they shared to communicate, yet an initial test with representative cell phones was gotten well and will presently be developed, Walmart said.

Booking, push-to-talk with employees, signing into work by telephone and a voice-activated personal assistant are generally features of the Me@Walmart application. In the coming months, the organization intends to add an element that will help abbreviate the time it takes workers to get things from the stockroom to the sales floor.

“As retail continues to evolve — and quickly — it’s more critical than ever to equip our people with the tools and technology they need for success,” Walmart stated. “Doing so makes work easier and more enjoyable, and it keeps the focus where we need it most — delivering a great in-store, pickup and delivery experience for our customers.”

The organization guaranteed that it would not approach any employee’s personal data and can “use the smartphone as their own personal device if they want, with all the features and privacy they’re used to.” The test will be extended before the year’s over, Walmart said.

Recently, Walmart reported boosts in compensation for almost 33% of its U.S. labor force of 1.6 million. In February, digital and store workers saw their beginning hourly rates increment from $13 to $19 contingent upon their location and market.