Walmart workers shoot prices scanners, sparking debate: ‘This is a business not a playground’

‘Nobody was harmed I’m sure,’ one respondent writes in the comments.

(mbkstank/TikTok)

Walmart workers shared a video of themselves using their price tags as guns as they ran through the store, claiming they were later fired for the stunt, sparking a debate on social media about whether this work behaviour was appropriate.

In a TikTok video posted by @mbkstank on 9 January, several Walmart employees pointed their price scanners, which had a flashing light coming out of them, at the camera. It appears that the workers were shooting the device, as if it were a gun, in the clip.

Workers popped out from many different locations of the store, such as from behind the selves or the inside of a cabinet. Others were also on a bicycle or on a wagon. “They all got fired,” the text over the video reads.

However, it seems like these workers still had fun, as the caption of the video said, “they got Walmart lit though”.

The clip has over 610.3k views so far, with viewers in the comments claiming these workers shouldn’t have been fired if they actually were.

“Walmart is not in the position to fire anyone,” one wrote in the comments, while another said: “That’s the stores loss now they have to replace every single employee they just fired the store took an L on that one.”

Some comments expressed that these workers were simply having fun making this video and that their jobs shouldn’t be in jeopardy because of it.

“This is sweet ... you all need to have fun @ work once in a while,” one comment reads. “You guys work hard ... so sry you all got fired. I think Wally world needs to re-access.

“Nobody was harmed I’m sure in the making of this video ... they was just having fun!,” another added.

On the opposite side of the coin, some viewers felt that these workers weren’t being very professional.

“It doesn’t matter who told! you are supposed to be working not playing around,” one wrote. “Customers should start calling corporate and writing letters to the president (Walmart CEO) about stuff like this.”

“This is a business not a playground,” another added.

This TikTok account typically posts videos with this theme. For example, one video consisted of students in a school pointing their phones at the camera, with the text saying “they got expelled”.

On January 10, the account shared another video of Walmart workers once again directing their prices scanners towards the camera and the text over the clip said: “They all got fired”. So, it appears that these videos could all just be a part of a skit.

According to Walmart’s website, there are approximately 10,500 retail units in 24 countries. The company also has “approximately 2.2 million associates around the world” with “1.6 million in the U.S. alone.”

The Independent has reached out to Walmart and @mbkstank for a comment.