| | FEBRUARY 2025MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM8In MyOpinionPUTTING PEOPLE FIRST AND MAKING A DIFFERENCEBy Kim Lupo, SVP, Global Total Rewards, People Operations/Digital Acceleration, and Global People Partner, WalmartI came to Walmart in 2021 because I wanted to make a difference. I knew I was joining a company with a culture of innovation that could make an impact simply due to its size and presence across the globe. Since then, I've seen firsthand that true change doesn't happen because of the company's size ­ at Walmart or elsewhere ­ but because of its commitment to putting people first and constantly improving. For our team, that means designing benefits to support associates' comprehensive well-being ­ emotional, physical and financial. When one of these is out of balance, it can affect the other areas ­ it's all interconnected. Emotional Well-BeingAlthough the national average of adults who struggle with mental health has climbed to more than 20 percent, we don't talk about this aspect of well-being as often as physical health. We're working to change that by setting the standard for how employers can address mental health in the workplace, fostering conversation and working to strip away the stigma surrounding mental health challenges. Here are a few examples: · We've increased the number of free therapy and mental health coaching sessions for our associates from 10 to 20 sessions per person, per year.· Since April, about 25,000 associates have attended our Workplace Mental Health workshop. They have learned how to identify common signs of someone experiencing a mental health challenge, how to support in the moment, and how to appropriately connect associates to the right resources. · We introduced a new My Mental Health Resources program that provides associates with free confidential emotional support, including digital tools and resources. BelongingThe culture of belonging that we're relentlessly trying to foster at Walmart is priceless to our associates' well-being and sense of value. As part of that effort, we recently started an LGBTQ+ Officer Caucus of senior leaders who share a deep passion for supporting our LGBTQ+ associates. These caucus members have been chosen to lead within our organization so others can be comfortable and confident doing the same. I'm proud to be a member of this caucus and to be part of a company that values all of me, and I'm committed Kim Lupo
< Page 7 | Page 9 >