Sometimes all it takes is one picture to set off a big conversation. That is exactly what happened when a Walmart employee shared a photo of a sign their manager posted inside the store. The message was simple: do not quit before talking to me. But the reactions to it? Those were anything but simple.
What did the walmart manager’s sign say
The sign, which was posted on Reddit by a Walmart employee, had a big headline that read:
“Stop! Do not leave! Please take a moment to talk to me, store manager… We believe in a no-quit philosophy at our store. Please come talk to me before making any decision to leave.”
The employee who posted it added the caption, “So it has come to this.”
It was clear the manager wanted to slow down the high turnover and convince workers to talk before walking out. But the internet quickly had a lot to say about whether it was a smart move or a desperate one.
How walmart employees reacted online
Many of the comments under the Reddit post came from other Walmart workers, and they did not hold back—
- One person wrote: “This make me laugh! You are not gonna be the one to pay me more, or fix the problems—you are just gonna blow smoke up my a**!”
- Another employee shared: “Most associates barely make it a week before quitting and my department is ALWAYS understaffed. It is frustrating because I am sure like most of you we are doing the amount of work of 3 people at least… so draining and stressful. Wish they would take better care of us, the raises here are downright disrespectful.”
- A third commenter said: “That is definitely a red flag.”
The common theme among the negative responses was clear. Many felt the sign did not address the real problems that make employees quit in the first place—low pay, understaffing, and stress.
Why some people defended the sign
Not everyone thought the sign was a bad idea. A handful of people said they would actually go to the manager before quitting, just to have an honest conversation.
One commenter explained: “You know what, I would do it. If I am going to quit anyways I would see what the store manager has to say. I would have a very honest conversation with them and talk to them about issues, why they feel the need to post this, and what they plan to do to make the changes necessary to stop the revolving door that seems to be happening at this store. Worst thing that can happen is you get paid for this conversation (because it is on the clock) and you still decide to leave.”
Someone else pointed out that store managers do not always know the full picture of what is happening on the ground. They said: “In that Store Manager’s defense, the turnover rate is probably extraordinarily high, and they are trying to understand why. People cannot fix what they do not know.”
What this reveals about working at walmart
The fact that a sign like this even exists says a lot about how tough things are for workers. Walmart is the largest private employer in the country, with over 1.5 million workers in the U.S. But in stores across the nation, employees have long complained about heavy workloads, low pay, and not enough staff.
A sign asking workers not to quit highlights a bigger problem: people are burning out and walking away faster than managers can hire replacements. For some, the sign feels like a band-aid on a deeper wound.
What shoppers are saying
Even customers weighed in after the sign went viral. Some called it “the biggest red flag,” saying they would not want to work in a store where management had to beg people to stay. Others felt sympathy for the managers, who may be caught in the middle—stuck between unhappy workers and corporate pressure.
