The Grinch Finds His Small Black Shriveled Heart

Well, I guess universal condemnation from the likes of the Wall Street Journal and CNN (and the Workplace Prof) finally make Wal-Mart see the light:

A former Wal-Mart employee who suffered severe brain damage in a traffic accident won't have to pay back the company for the cost of her medical care, Wal-Mart told the family Tuesday.

"Occasionally, others help us step back and look at a situation in a different way. This is one of those times," Wal-Mart Executive Vice President Pat Curran said in a letter. "We have all been moved by Ms. Shank's extraordinary situation."

Eight years ago, Debbie Shank was stocking shelves for the retail giant and signed up for Wal-Mart's health and benefits plan.

After a tractor-trailer slammed into her minivan, the 52-year-old mother of three lost much of her short-term memory and was confined to a wheelchair. She now lives in a nursing home.

She also lost her 18-year-old son, Jeremy, who was killed shortly after arriving in Iraq. When Debbie Shank asks family members how her son is doing and they remind her that he's dead, she weeps as if hearing the news for the first time.

Now, I only wish that others would help the Grinches at Wal-Mart "step back and look at a situation in a different way" and provide decent wages and health insurance to their employees.  And, yes, I know that ERISA law supported Wal-Mart here, but that is totally besides the point.

PS