Community Chat

[Sooner]

On 10/12/2014 abbeythe8th said:

On 10/12/2014 Sooner said:

We haven't done Thanksgiving in years, and maybe this holiday is getting antiquated for many people. We don't have much family any more, and we work, so unless we take off it is impossible to travel and cook, etc. Another thing is that this holiday is often too close to Christmas so I don't see any point in going all out then doing it again three weeks later. It's just overwhelming.

I think if they moved it back to a Friday in the last two weeks of October or the first of Nov. it would be far more sensible. But I'm sure that won't happen. But it doesn't seem to work as well now that families aren't all in the same town and women didn't work so they could make it happen back in the olden days.

You are suggesting Thanksgiving be the day after Halloween?

Why not? I could be, wouldn't HAVE to be but I think it is WAAAAAY to close to the Christmas holidays as is. It makes no sense to me to have two huge meal oriented events (and for many the SAME meal) so close together.

[bells4me]

What about all the people here that go to the movies on Christmas Day. And Christmas Day is Disneyland's busiest day of the year. What about those thousands working for you.

If you don't want to shop on Thanksgiving, stay home. Most of my family is in another state & the ones here are going shopping with me.

[spindlegirl]

On 10/11/2014 Marienkaefer2 said: My dad was a cop. Many holidays were spent without him. But that being said, I see retail differently. Cops, fire fighters, docs, nurses, linemen, military personnel, etc. Those are occupations where the services provided are essential to public safety and well-being. They cannot just be turned off for 24 hours. Additionally, my dad got paid double time on those days. The shifts were rotated as well, so no one person had to.always bear the burden of working on those days. Although, my dad did like working them because of the extra pay. Retail is NOT necessary to our well-being, and for 24 hours, I do believe that Macy's and Wal Mart could stay shut. Staying open until 9pm Wednesday evening, and opening at 8am on Black Friday would be good enough. People would adapt. People could shop online if they wanted to. What this is doing is basically destroying a holiday that was,meant to foster family and community well being. Now, I fully realize that not everyone has an idyllic family, etc. Believe me, I know that just as well as anyone. But we have so few traditions in this country anymore that are centered around caring for your family and those around you. I just see the downgrading of one more holiday as sad. But that's my opinion only.

^^^^Agree.

[reese2]

On 10/8/2014 lulu2 said:

On 10/8/2014 ROMARY said:

As I said before, for a few weeks or so, lots of large banners displayed in store windows, asking for 'seasonal help', 'now hiring'..........Which is a better idea for those employees who wish not to work during the holidays and/or those all night hours.

I do not understand your last sentence. Seasonal part-time help is frequently for extended holiday hours. Weekends, nights and off hours are included.

I cannot imagine any establishment being happy about part-time employees dictating their work schedule. They are likely to make part-time/seasonal employees work holidays.

Ok, I've worked retail so I'm not guessing about what I'm about to say. Regular employees work holidays...period. The seasonal hires are for the extended hours and increased volume of shoppers, but no store that I am aware of staffs any shift with new hires only. This includes the night shifts. That simply doesn't happen. Sooner or later during the Christmas crush, all store employees work hours that they don't want to.

What I said about a specific holiday like Thanksgiving where hours are changed with little notice, it's a common practice to offer full-timers the earlier hours for that day. But again, sooner or later no matter what their status, all employees will work those hours during the Christmas holiday.

I'm very skeptical about anyone in retail making $60 an hour.

[reese2]

On 10/13/2014 spindlegirl said:

On 10/11/2014 Marienkaefer2 said: My dad was a cop. Many holidays were spent without him. But that being said, I see retail differently. Cops, fire fighters, docs, nurses, linemen, military personnel, etc. Those are occupations where the services provided are essential to public safety and well-being. They cannot just be turned off for 24 hours. Additionally, my dad got paid double time on those days. The shifts were rotated as well, so no one person had to.always bear the burden of working on those days. Although, my dad did like working them because of the extra pay. Retail is NOT necessary to our well-being, and for 24 hours, I do believe that Macy's and Wal Mart could stay shut. Staying open until 9pm Wednesday evening, and opening at 8am on Black Friday would be good enough. People would adapt. People could shop online if they wanted to. What this is doing is basically destroying a holiday that was,meant to foster family and community well being. Now, I fully realize that not everyone has an idyllic family, etc. Believe me, I know that just as well as anyone. But we have so few traditions in this country anymore that are centered around caring for your family and those around you. I just see the downgrading of one more holiday as sad. But that's my opinion only.

^^^^Agree.

So do I, it's a great post!

[DarkShadowsGirl]

Every retail and restaurant job I ever had did sign ups for holidays, with a certain number of holidays being mandatory per year (usually each person must work one summer and one winter holiday per year). The grocery store I worked at in college was a little different. They didn't care if an individual worked a holiday or not, just as long as the shifts were full. When our manager posted a sign-up, it was generally filled within the first hour (he would let us know in advance with the time & date he planned to post it), so there are people who do want to work them. For me, I just chose the summer & winter holiday that I didn't want to work, kept it the same each year & signed up for the rest. It is too bad that these business that are now staying open on holidays aren't scheduling by sign-up. It just works so well.

[lovescats]

On 10/13/2014 DarkShadowsGirl said:

Every retail and restaurant job I ever had did sign ups for holidays, with a certain number of holidays being mandatory per year (usually each person must work one summer and one winter holiday per year). The grocery store I worked at in college was a little different. They didn't care if an individual worked a holiday or not, just as long as the shifts were full. When our manager posted a sign-up, it was generally filled within the first hour (he would let us know in advance with the time & date he planned to post it), so there are people who do want to work them. For me, I just chose the summer & winter holiday that I didn't want to work, kept it the same each year & signed up for the rest. It is too bad that these business that are now staying open on holidays aren't scheduling by sign-up. It just works so well.

A lot of grocery stores used to pay time and a half or double time for holidays and now maybe some of them do but a lot of them probably don't. As previous posts have said I have to believe that most of these stores being opened on Thanksgivings are scheduling everyone to work . And a long time ago stores were closed on Sundays and holidays then they started to be opened a few hours and then all day and now Thanksgiving and Christmas are the last 2 days left. I guess Christmas is really the only day left.

And to quote again from Marienkaefer2

Retail is NOT necessary to our well-being, and for 24 hours, I do believe that Macy's and Wal Mart could stay shut. Staying open until 9pm Wednesday evening, and opening at 8am on Black Friday would be good enough. People would adapt. People could shop online if they wanted to. What this is doing is basically destroying a holiday that was,meant to foster family and community well being. Now, I fully realize that not everyone has an idyllic family, etc. Believe me, I know that just as well as anyone. But we have so few traditions in this country anymore that are centered around caring for your family and those around you. I just see the downgrading of one more holiday as sad. But that's my opinion only.

Most of the people in my family who had to work holidays got paid double time.

[Hayfield]

There are many people who have to work holidays, law enforcement, fire fighters, nurses, doctors, etc., it's the nature of the job. I'm a tour guide and I'm required to work either a 1/2 day on Thanksgiving or 1/2 a day on Christmas. I was told when I took the job those were the conditions. Many people will celebrate Thanksgiving on another day so family members can be together. I know many families that do this that working on the holiday isn't the issue, it's other issues. I personally don't go shopping on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday or even the weekend after Thanksgiving. I don't want to deal with the crowds, no matter how great the bargains are but as long as there are people who do, these stores will be open. Soon the stores will be open all day on Thanksgiving, it's only a matter of time.

[ROMARY]

reese2: We haven't run across the checker at the supermarket lately, in our neighborhood (can't ask her while she is working). She has been working at the same local store for twenty plus years, and the triple pay for working Thanksgiving morning was when we ran into her coming home last year (she was smiling, as usual). But, as I said before, just to make sure 'we got it right' (the info), I'll mention it to her again this year. Could be that the salaries are much higher in high-cost-of-living areas. I don't know, as I've never worked supermarkets. Anyway, she said either she or a relative was having Thanksgiving dinner, and she seemed happy about her morning (four hour shift) earnings. I'll make sure I don't mention this again next year, as, I agree, we were very surprised ourselves.

[ROMARY]

'Anyhow', at least the O/P was given her schedule very early in the season. From what some folks say around here on the boards, sometimes it's 'last minute' scheduling now-a-days. If I were a manager, I wouldn't be able to take that type of job, (scheduling my employees 'last minute'). Too much stress and chaos, IMO.