Arkansas move irks some at Walmart

Hundreds of Walmart Inc. employees joined what they thought would be a routine Zoom call in May when talk veered to mandatory relocation to Arkansas. The policy is "a bunch of b*******," blurted out one participant.

Workers on the call were startled, but not surprised, according to people familiar with the matter who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the meeting. Thousands of employees from smaller offices and remote workers around the United States have been ordered to the retailer's corporate hubs, a move by the company to draw more people back to offices.

While some employees are happy to comply, others shared worries ranging from partners' jobs to childcare options. Some who have been working remotely said they want to maintain that flexibility.