Walmart HR head says she 'never believed in the term work-life balance'

Donna Morris oversees the experience of over 2.1 million employees at Walmart.

Walmart’s chief people officer Donna Morris has said she doesn’t believe in the idea of work-life balance, arguing instead for what she calls “work-life integration,” CNBC Make It reported.

“I’ve never believed in the term work-life balance,” said Morris, who oversees the experience of over 2.1 million employees at the retail giant. “There are times that your life requires a lot more, and there are times that your work requires a lot more. … I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”

For Morris, the key is flexibility. While visiting family, she prioritises them—but if work demands her attention, she doesn’t wait until she’s back in the office. “You might be [at your kid’s] soccer game, but you happen to look at a few emails,” she said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a workaholic who lacks boundaries.”

Morris’s comments come amid ongoing debates about burnout, remote work, and the future of workplace culture. She believes that rigid boundaries between work and personal life are not always realistic, especially in leadership roles. Instead, she encourages employees to find a rhythm that works for them.

“It’s up to leaders to set the tone,” the Walmart senior executive said. “If I never take a holiday, the tone that I set for everybody is, don’t take a holiday — you can’t do that. And I don’t think that that’s right.”

Morris said she plans to take a vacation at the end of August and will make sure her team knows about it. “When they’re able to actually go off and do something, they should go off the grid and do it,” she added.