Walmart aims to empower workers with own devices, new app

New York (AP) — Walmart is unveiling an app for its store workers’ phones that allows them to do a variety of tasks from digitally clocking into work to helping locate merchandise and answering customers’ questions. It also has a push-to-talk feature to directly communicate with colleagues. As part of the launch, the nation’s largest private employer says it plans to offer more than 740,000 store workers a new Samsung smartphone for free by year-end. That’s nearly 50% of its U.S. workforce, according to Drew Holler, senior vice president of people operations. The moves come as Walmart and others are trying to free up store workers from menial tasks to better serve customers.