Walmart's Sam's Club to Remove Synthetic Dyes From Private Brand by Year End
Walmart-owned Sam's Club said on Thursday it would eliminate over 40 ingredients, including artificial colors and aspartame, from private label brand Member's Mark by the end of this year.
Under the initiative, called 'Made Without', Sam's Club is altering its food products and beverages to offer items that are in tandem with the evolving dietary preferences of customers as more people, mainly Gen Z and millennials, turn health-conscious.
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Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Walmart sends a hard-nosed message to employees
Walmart (WMT) , the largest retail chain in the U.S., has sent a harsh message to employees after a controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling. For years, President Donald Trump has promoted his plan to secure the U.S. borders and conduct mass deportations of immigrants who are in the country illegally. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter "Illegal immigration costs our country billions and billions of dollars each year…And I will therefore take every lawful action at my disposal to address this crisis," said Trump during a briefing in the White House in 2018. Related: IRS sends stern warning to employees after layoffs Shortly after Trump was sworn in for a second term as president in January, he signed several executive orders focused on cracking down on illegal immigration. Some are targeted at increasing border security, reinstating "enhanced vetting" of visa applicants, and adding limits on birthright citizenship. Last week, the Trump administration gained major ground in its immigration agenda when the Supreme Court gave it the green light to cut a humanitarian program that granted temporary U.S. residency to over 500,000 immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. The decision comes after the court ruled in another case that the administration could also remove temporary legal status from roughly 350,000 Venezuelan migrants. Shortly after the Supreme Court's latest ruling, Walmart reportedly informed its stores nationwide to identify workers who will lose their work authorization due to the ruling, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. Related: Walmart suffers another major boycott from customers The retailer also fired an unknown number of workers in Florida and Texas who will soon lose temporary legal residency in the U.S. Walmart even warned employees in at least two Florida stores that they will be let go if they don't get new work authorizations. Walmart's move follows in the footsteps of Disney, which reportedly warned its Venezuelan employees in Florida that their jobs are at risk after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to cut protections for thousands of Venezuelans last month. On May 20, Disney placed those employees (45 cast members) on a 30-day unpaid leave and told them they would be fired if they did not obtain new work authorization by the end of the 30-day period. So far, since Trump took office on Jan. 20, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested over 100,000 immigrants. ICE is reportedly arresting up to 2,000 immigrants a day. Last year, under the Biden administration, ICE was making 300 daily arrests. The dramatic increase in arrests comes after the Trump administration's "Border Czar" Tom Homan warned in an interview last year that the U.S. will soon see a "historic deportation operation." More Labor: Amazon CEO gives hard-nosed message to employeesIRS has an alarming solution to a growing problem after layoffsJPMorgan Chase CFO issues stern warning to employees These efforts have so far sparked controversy on social media and massive protests in a few cities across the nation. The Trump administration's deportation plan can also have a major domino effect in workplaces across the country, as immigrants make up a significant portion of the U.S. workforce. Out of the roughly 169 million workers in the U.S., over 32 million are immigrants, which is about 19% of the workforce. Many industries in the U.S. have also relied on the employment of undocumented immigrant workers. According to a report from the American Immigration Council last year, the U.S. is estimated to have over 7.5 million undocumented workers in various industries. Construction is the top industry with the most undocumented workers, who make up about 14% of its workforce. Following construction is the agriculture industry, where almost 13% of its workforce is made up of undocumented workers. The hospitality industry comes in as No. 3, as undocumented workers make up about 7% of its workforce. Related: Dollar General suffers major boycott from customers The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
When it comes to saving, Gen Z asks: 'What's the point?' That's dangerous, expert says
Gen Z seems to have a case of economic malaise. Nearly half (49%) of its adult members — the oldest of whom are in their late 20s — say planning for the future feels "pointless," according to a recent Credit Karma poll. A freewheeling attitude toward summer spending has taken root among young adults who feel financial "despair" and "hopelessness," said Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma. They think, "What's the point when it comes to saving for the future?" Alev said. That "YOLO mindset" among Generation Z — the cohort born from roughly 1997 through 2012 — can be dangerous: If unchecked, it might lead young adults to rack up high-interest debt they can't easily repay, perhaps leading to delayed milestones like moving out of their parents' home or saving for retirement, Alev said. But your late teens and early 20s is arguably the best time for young people to develop healthy financial habits: Starting to invest now, even a little bit, will yield ample benefits via decades of compound interest, experts said. "There are a lot of financial implications in the long term if these young people aren't planning for their financial future and [are] spending willy-nilly however they want," Alev said. That said, that many feel disillusioned is understandable in the current environment, experts said. The labor market has been tough lately for new entrants and those looking to switch jobs, experts said. The U.S. unemployment rate is relatively low, at 4.2%. However, it's much higher for Americans 22 to 27 years old: 5.8% for recent college grads and 6.9% for those without a bachelor's degree, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data as of March 2025. Here's a look at other stories affecting the financial advisor business. Young adults are also saddled with debt concerns, experts said. "They feel they don't have any money and many of them are in debt," said Winnie Sun, co-founder and managing director of Sun Group Wealth Partners, based in Irvine, California. "And they're wondering if the degree they have (or are working toward) will be of value if A.I. takes all their jobs anyway. So is it just pointless?" About 50% of bachelor's degree recipients in the 2022-23 class graduated with student debt, with an average debt of $29,300, according to College Board. The federal government restarted collections on student debt in default in May, after a five-year pause. The Biden administration's efforts to forgive large swaths of student debt, including plans to help reduce monthly payments for struggling borrowers, were largely stymied in court. "Some hoped some or more of it would be forgiven, and that didn't turn out to be the case," said Sun, a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council. Meanwhile, in a 2024 report, the New York Fed found credit card delinquency rates were rising faster for Gen Z than for other generations. About 15% had maxed out their cards, more than other cohorts, it said. It's also "never been easier to buy things," with the rise of buy now, pay later lending, for example, Alev said. BNPL has pushed the majority of Gen Z users — 77% — to say the service has encouraged them to spend more than they can afford, according to the Credit Karma survey. The firm polled 1,015 adults ages 18 and older, 182 of whom are from Gen Z. These financial challenges compound an environment of general political and financial uncertainty, amid on-again-off-again tariff policy and its potential impact on inflation and the U.S. economy, for example, experts said. "You start stacking all these things on top of each other and it can create a lack of optimism for young people looking to get started in their financial lives," Alev said. Young adults should try to rewire their financial mindset, experts said. "Most importantly, you don't want to bet against yourself," Sun said. "See it as an opportunity," she added. "If you're young and your expenses are low, this is the time to invest as much as you can right now." Time is working in their favor, due to the ability to compound investment growth over multiple decades, Alev said. While investing might "feel impossible," every little bit helps, even if it's just investing $10 a month right now into a tax-advantaged retirement account like a Roth IRA or 401(k). The latter is among the easiest ways to start, due to automatic payroll deduction and the possibility of earning a "match" from your employer, which is "probably the closest thing to free money any of us will get in our lifetime," Alev said. "This is actually the most exciting time to invest, because you're young," Sun said. Instituting mindful spending habits, such as putting a waiting period of at least 24 hours in place before buying a non-essential item, can help prevent unnecessary spending, she added. Sun advocates for paying down high-interest debt before focusing on investing, so interest payments don't quickly spiral out of control. Or, as an alternative, they can try to fund a 401(k) to get their full company match while also working to pay off high-interest debt, she said. "Instead of getting into the 'woe is me' mode, change that into taking action," Sun said. "Make a plan, take baby steps and get excited about opportunities to invest."
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Summer kicks off with a new corporate perk aimed to ease employees' stress
Summer kicks off with a new corporate perk aimed to ease employees' stress Companies looking to ease employees' stress over the summer are offering a new perk -- discounted summer camp and childcare. Show Caption Hide Caption More men are becoming family caregivers Men face a unique set of challenges when it comes to stepping into the role of a caregiver. Kids might be excited about the end of the school year and for summer to begin, but many working parents who don't know how to fill their kids' long summer days may be feeling some dread right about now. AT&T is trying to change that. The third largest U.S. wireless carrier is launching an onsite summer camp at its Dallas, Texas, headquarters in June to give its employees more convenient options for reliable childcare during the school break. Childcare outranked any other perk including mental health support, paid maternity/paternity leave and tuition reimbursements as a benefit employers aimed to offer their workers last year, according to a survey of corporate-suite and human resource leaders. One in 5 employees said they had left a job because their employer didn't provide family care benefits, and a lack of childcare benefits topped the list of reasons they sought another job. 'The summer camp was in response to specific asks and pain points our employees had,' said Matt Phillips, AT&T assistant vice president of benefits. But childcare isn't the only caregiving people ask for nowadays, he said. People want help caring for every important person, or sometimes pet, in their lives, he said. What's different about summer? 'When planning vacations and summer activities, there may be days sporadically that fall throughout the summer when people need some childcare,' Phillips said. To help ease worries of what to do with kids on those days, AT&T employees can register their children ages 4-12 for the 10-week onsite camp that runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Families have the flexibility to book one or multiple days whenever they'd like throughout the summer. There's no weekly sessions or commitments required. If employees use their backup care benefits, a day of camp would cost $15 for one child or $25 for two or more children. AT&T backup care allow workers up to 10 days of subsidized childcare if their primary care option is unavailable, and they can't take time off. They can choose center care for $15 per day or in-home care with a Bright Horizons caregiver for $4 an hour. Bright Horizons runs childcare centers and early education services nationwide. Additional days of summer camp can be bought at a discounted rate. Tell us: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. What are other types of caregiving? Caregiving has typically meant childcare, but the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging population and rising costs have expanded the definition to include siblings, parents, grandparents and even pets. Gen Z through Gen X and even some of the youngest members of the Baby Boomers who expect to retire soon are demanding personalized benefits beyond retirement funds, salary and vacation days. Job seekers, even those fresh out of school, now have a 'holistic outlook,' said Blayre Riley, 22. 'We're not just looking at salary.' Riley doesn't have kids, but she has a 6-year-old kid brother. Her job benefits allow her to use so-called caregiver days, which are paid hours she can use to take care of a sick friend, relative or other loved one or take them to appointments, for example. With these benefits, if her little brother 'has a class party, I can go in the morning and come back to work in the afternoon, and it doesn't feel like a burden to my team,' Riley said. 'Or if he has a day off school and my parents work, I can spend time with him.' 'My dad always talks about when I was younger, his job didn't have this flexibility and when my mom was sick, he couldn't take her to doctor's appointments,' she added. 'Now, my job has it, and it can exist for everyone.' Education help: College applications are stressful. Here's how more companies are helping. New perks: Some workers are job hopping for fertility benefits. Employers are trying to keep up. What's at stake? The lack of available childcare alone costs the economy $122 billion every year, according to a 2023 study from the bipartisan Council for a Strong America. Yet, just 12% of all U.S. workers have access to childcare benefits through their employer, and only 6% of those who work part-time or in the lowest income quartile do, according to a Boston Consulting Group study published last year. Family caregivers ages 50 and older who leave the workforce to care for a parent lost $303,880, on average, in income and benefits over a caregiver's lifetime, according to a 2016 Families Caring for an Aging America study. The breakdown was as follows: $115,900 in lost wages, $137,980 in lost Social Security benefits, and conservatively $50,000 in lost pension benefits. Still, only 13% of companies offer eldercare referral services, and just 1% of companies offer employees subsidies for eldercare, according to SHRM's 2024 Employee Benefits Survey. Lack of support leads to caregiver burnout. Half of caregivers said caregiving increased their level of emotional stress, while 37% said it impacted their physical feelings of stress according to a 2023 AARP survey. What can companies do? Companies 'must address new needs, particularly around things like caregiving benefits, absence and leave benefits, and wellness benefits in all forms, as well as personalizing/customizing benefits to keep their workers happy,' said Bryan Hodgens, head of research at Life Insurance Management Research Association, or LIMRA, in a report. Comprehensive caregiving benefits like flexible work arrangements, paid leave, financial support, and access to education, consultations, resources, and digital caregiving platforms can improve workers' wellbeing and boost businesses. BCG found that childcare benefits alone deliver returns of up to 425% of their cost for companies across the U.S. Aside from caregiving, it's imperative companies also offer employees opportunities for self-care. Healthier habits help keep healthcare costs down for both employees and employers. AT&T, for example, offers a Wellbeing Choice Account to reward employees for healthy habits. Employees and their partners or spouses can each earn up to $750 annually for completing wellness activities like getting their annual physical. They can then use that money to go towards fitness classes, an exercise bike, student loan repayment, massages and facials, and healthy meal kits. 'It's like free money because you're getting paid to do things you should be doing anyway,' said Ryan Stafford, an AT&T employee who used his rewards to buy a nicer bike than he would have been able to afford. 'l had no guilt spending a little more,' he said. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
