Employees resign from work every day for various reasons. For the world’s biggest employer, whose employees use the walmartone service to view their paystubs, resignations are a daily occurrence. Nothing new. Like a revolving door at a hotel, whenever an employee steps out, a new one comes in to take his place. Sure, resignations from disgruntled Walmart employees can sometimes be difficult but generally, all it takes is a letter, an exit interview, sign a few forms and the standard surrender of keys and the company I.D. However, an employee from a Walmart store in Carencro, Louisiana decided to buck the norm and literally voice her grievance to the public.
Last September 14, Beth McGrath, a Walmart employee who had been working in the electronics department of the company’s Carencro location in Louisiana for the past 5 years, took to the store’s PA system and announced her decision to quit to shoppers. Beth didn’t stop there. She filmed the “event” and posted the profanity-filled tirade on her Facebook page. In the video, Beth can be seen wearing her Walmart uniform and a face mask. With her hand shaking, she picked up the phone of the PA system and just went off:
What Did Beth McGrath Say?
“Attention Walmart shoppers and associates, my name is Beth from electronics and I’ve been working at Walmart for almost five years and I can say that everyone here is overworked and underpaid. We are treated by management and customers poorly every day and whenever we have a problem with it, we’re told we’re replaceable.”
If that wasn’t enough to get the shoppers’ attention, Beth switched gears and put management in the crosshair. She called out management for their poor treatment of older employees and specifically named one and labeled him a pervert.
“I’m tired of the constant gaslighting. The company treats its elderly associates like s***. Shame on you for treating your associates the way you do.I hope you don’t speak to your families the way you speak to us.”
Beth goes on to read a list of her co-employees to thank them for their support before she ends her attack on Walmart:
“Walmart doesn’t deserve y’all. Fk management and f* this job, I quit.”
Since McGrath posted the video on her Facebook page, her resignation rant has received over 150,000 views, shared 5,000 times, and garnered 3,700 comments. The Internet, which embraces outlandish and off-the-cuff behaviour, has inspired McGrath to create the handle “Bethsanity”. Whilst her method of resignation was widely praised on social media, the newly-resigned Walmart employee had her share of detractors.
Netizens Reaction
Some netizens criticised her for resigning the way she did so she can gain a measure of notoriety, fame, and attention. There were others who voiced their concern that with her video post going viral, employers might think twice about hiring her. Of course, many didn’t like her liberal use of profanity and a few commenters even suggested that an industry giant such as Walmart might file legal action against her.
But the response to her video resignation was overwhelmingly positive. Many called Beth a hero and thanked her for speaking on behalf of employees all across the country who have experienced the same type of abusive treatment from their employers. Others shared their opinion that McGrath put on video what they really wanted to tell their bosses when they resigned. And she got a job offer from a man who owned a business in North Carolina.
Social Media Reaction
It wasn’t long before Beth’s video found its way to the short-messaging platform Twitter. Likewise, Twitter-nation showered McGrath with a lot of love and support. Someone called Beth a certified “Bad A**” while many expressed hope that employers who came across the post would offer her a job.
24 hours after the video went viral, McGrath posted another video on her Facebook page. She expressed her gratitude and appreciation for those who supported her decision and sent donations to her:
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for me and I am just at a loss for words. I didn’t record the video for clout. I recorded the video for my fellow co-workers to let them know that I do love them and I do want what’s best for them. I wanted to be their voice, I wanted to be my voice.”
At the end of the video, McGrath advised others not to be afraid and to voice out their complaints if they feel that their managers, supervisors, and employers have been mistreating them.
Whilst McGrath’s video did catch fire and captivate the attention of the Internet, this wasn’t the first time a Walmart employee has aired his/her grievance over the store’s PA system. Last November 2020, a Walmart employee in Texas did the same thing.
Several news outlets have reached out to Walmart but to date, the world’s largest retail chain hasn’t publicly commented on Beth McGrath’s viral resignation.