I haven't taken time yet to read all the replies, but in my opinion, the world isn't a bad and evil place, if in America, we hold to some of the traditions on which we were founded, one being the observance of certain holidays, some Christian, some not (Thanksgiving) where most things that aren't critical (hospitals, fire, police, utility maintenance etc.) are closed.
The problem with the idea of being open, but people getting to choose a floating holiday, or people getting to volunteer when they do or don't work certain holidays, is that most people will be forced to work. There won't really be a choice for the majority of the employees.
The whole black Friday mess now starting on Thanksgiving is so high volume, that stores need virtually all their help, and no one is really given time off. A few may luck into not having to come in till later, as they stagger shifts, but many people who would rather be off and home, are being forced to work to keep their jobs. Opening on Christmas with big discounts, and folks having all those gift cards burning a hole in their wallets would lead to the same kind of shopping frenzy on that day as well.
I remember when, in our area anyway, even holidays like Labor, Memorial,4th of July and Easter were times you'd find many retail places closed. Now, every day is a money day.
People have all year to shop, eat out, and spend spend spend. Stores are open longer hours than ever, and there are more options of where to spend your money than ever before. The idea that retail cannot shut down for maybe six days a year, and let that huge number of employees have a day off when many of their friends and family have time off as well, is just greed. My mom is always quick to point out that back in the days when the 'blue laws' (when it was illegal for stores to be open on Sunday) were still practiced, no one ever starved or went naked (because they couldn't get to a store to buy what they needed, anyway). People found time the other six days a week to get their business done.
Yes, it is a new and different world. Yes, not everyone celebrates every holiday. We have more religions (and more people who have no religion) than ever before. But have we become so concerned about the bottom line, that we don't just give people the opportunity to enjoy some communal time off, regardless of how they spend that day?
People do have the option of choosing a field that will insure their time off on certain holidays, and avoid jobs that don't give them that. People have the option of not supporting businesses who open on holidays, if they choose to let their money do the talking. And businesses have the right to open anytime they see fit. But it is sad, that for a few days a year, we can't just stop the madness that shopping and spending has become, and just spend time doing something else.
Blogs & Forums
