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The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Sabine Joseph

‘I had no idea’: Walmart worker reveals the code behind yellow and blue nametags

Have you ever wondered why some Walmart workers have a blue stripe on their nametags while others have a yellow one? It’s not arbitrary or a matter of personal preference. It’s actually a code that relates to a worker’s demographic.

What does the color code mean?

In a viral TikTok, Gifty (@giftee.5) holds a Walmart nametag with a yellow stripe and tells people to stay away from workers who have that color on their tag. Why?

“They are babies,” she says. “They are 16 or 17. They are not an adult.”

She explains that a blue stripe means the worker is 18+. “Blue means you can talk to them if they wanna talk to you,” she says.

Can you really not talk to Walmart workers with a yellow tag?

Gifty does not mean you literally can’t talk to Walmart workers who are minors. Rather, she’s saying that some customers behave in a way that’s “creepy,” and they should really be leaving the minors alone.

“You guys are so creepy when y’all come to Walmart trying to talk to these babies. That’s disgusting,” she concludes.

While they’re not limited in who they can talk to, minor employees are limited in which sections of the store they can work. They cannot sell alcohol, for instance.

Is she right that minors wear yellow nametags?

Yes, Walmart confirmed this in a Facebook post from 2021.

It states, “Did you know that a yellow name badge means our associate is a minor? We hire associates as young as 16 years old and provide free online bachelor’s degrees.”

Commenters react

In the comments section of Gifty’s video, viewers agreed that a yellow tag should be an immediate indication for an adult not to talk to a Walmart worker.

“Yellow means leave them alone,” one said.

“She out here dropping facts!! Leave them babies alone!!” a second agreed.

Another wrote, “Just don’t [be] harassing workers at their job. Crazy concept. Whether they are minors or adults just leave employees alone. If it isn’t a work related question like ma’am where are the trash bags. Then you have 0 business communicating with CHILDREN.”

Others were shocked that people try to chat up Walmart workers.

@giftee.5 As a grown man/married man, why are u tryna talk to these babies at  #fyp #relatable #fypシ #walmartfinds #walmart #minor #walmartstore #fypage #unitedstate #walmartworld ♬ original sound – GIF✝️Y

“Who the hell is just talking to a walmart Employee on a random wednesday who wants to talk to anybody in public?” one viewer asked.

A second similarly questioned, “The hell is in Walmart, trying to talk to the workers?”

Some current and former Walmart workers chimed in to share more about the yellow name tag.

“I’m 18 and I have a yellow one because I’m still in school,” one said.

“I was 19 working at Walmart and had yellow and wasn’t in school,” another wrote.

Given this discrepancy, The Mary Sue has contacted Walmart via contact form to learn more about who counts as a minor for the purposes of a yellow name tag.

The Mary Sue has also contacted Gifty via TikTok comment.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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