Wal-Mart to change worker scheduling plan

NEW YORK: Wal-Mart Stores will start moving many of its 1.3 million workers from predictable shifts to a system based on how many customers are in stores at a given time, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. Wal-Mart will start making the changes this year with the help of a new computerised scheduling system, the paper said.

The move promises more productivity and consumer satisfaction, but could demand more flexibility and availability from workers in place of reliable shifts and predictable pay checks, the Journal reported. Wal-Mart started using the system for some workers, including cashiers and accounting-office personnel, last year, the paper also reported. Company officials were not immediately available for comment.