The long arm of the law–or at least a jury–has caught up again with the law-breakers from Bentonville, also known as the Waltons. As reported by the Associated Press, “the world’s biggest retailer, must pay at least $78.5 million for violating Pennsylvania labor laws by forcing employees to work through rest breaks and off the clock, a jury found yesterday.” The plaintiffs’ lawyers will also ask for an additional $62 million because, surprise, the jury found that the Beast from Bentonville acted in bad faith.

Let’s be real: for the Waltons, this will hardly make a dent in their multi-billion fortune. What we really need are prison sentences for executives, not just fines.

Meanwhile, the Beast, rather than feel chastened, is actually cracking down on its workers. As The Wall Street Journal reports in today’s edition (subscription only):

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has enacted a new attendance policy that penalizes workers for multiple unexcused absences and requires them to call an 800 number whenever they get sick, changes critics say are part of a bigger effort to nudge out unhealthy and long-tenured employees…

Wal-Mart, of Bentonville, Ark., says the new attendance policy benefits employees by documenting their requests for time off instead of relying on harried store managers to remember each request. And it benefits shoppers by discouraging unexcused absenteeism. “It’s not for tracking; it’s really to ensure a more consistent application of our absentee policy,” spokesman John Simley said.

The new policy instructs employees requesting time off for illness to call an 800 number to get a code and then relay that code to their store manager for approval of their absence. Previously, employees asked their store manager directly for such time off, employees say…

The policy change comes at a time when some of Wal-Mart’s 1.3 million U.S. workers are riled by fears that the retailer wants to cut costs by attracting healthier employees and a greater percentage of part-time workers.

Some employees and Wal-Mart critics decry the new policy as a way for Wal-Mart to discourage unhealthy employees by tracking sick-time use more closely, setting stricter guidelines for authorization and making the process of applying for sick leave more onerous.

“I guess they’re just trying to see how many people they can get rid of,” said Ramiro Gonzalez, a 49-year-old full-time worker in the produce section of a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas. “They’re trying to make ways that you can mess it up so they can let you go, especially if you’re a full-timer.”

Wal-Mart’s concerns about its soaring health-insurance costs came to light last year, when an internal memorandum authored by a top Wal-Mart official was leaked. The memo offered numerous suggestions for corralling benefits costs by luring healthier workers.

The new policy “just sends another terrible message that this company looks at its workers as a commodity,” said Chris Kofinis, spokesman for Wal-Mart critic WakeUpWalMart.com.

And, of course, Wal-Mart is also playing a role in trying to make sure Chinese workers don’t get a fair shake either…everything to drive down wages. Nice.