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This will be less of an issue in a few years, when robots are used to check shelves, and when the overwhelming majority of checkouts are either self-serve, or better yet, RFID scanning plates.
Don't like it? Don't work in retail. Plenty of people have to work holidays.
And for the person who said unions would help: oh you are funny!!!! Unions keep people from working on holidays? Really? Let's look shall we? People who are part of a union where I live and ALL work holidays:
Sheriff
State Police
City Police
Fire Department
EMTs
911 Call Center
Nurses
Orderlies
Bus drivers
Correction Officers
Non union workers:
Doctors
Toll Booth Workers (some are union in some areas)
Farmers
Newspaper Delivery Person
Restaurant Employees
Grocery Store Employees
Movie Theater Employees
So why complain about retail? There are plenty of people who work holidays! I worked Thanksgiving and I didn't die. I didn't even melt.
Well, I will tell you one of the reasons and this is a big reason, that people WANT to shop on Turkey Day... Contrary to popular belief, tons of families DO NOT spend that much time together on Thanksgiving......
A lot and probably most of them would rather do other things then hang with family...
They will maybe have a quick dinner and then of to the shopping or casinos or whatever they can....
And also there are quite a few that do not HAVE families to spend time with and do their own thing.....
I have worked holidays for quite a few years and my family worked our dinner around that.....
So while everyone is bemoaning that fact that people have to work because other people want to shop, there are also a lot of people who do not mind working the holidays as they get extra money they need and might not have anyone to spend time with so they figure they can work and be around people....
Well, I will tell you one of the reasons and this is a big reason, that people WANT to shop on Turkey Day... Contrary to popular belief, tons of families DO NOT spend that much time together on Thanksgiving......
A lot and probably most of them would rather do other things then hang with family...
They will maybe have a quick dinner and then of to the shopping or casinos or whatever they can....
And also there are quite a few that do not HAVE families to spend time with and do their own thing.....
I have worked holidays for quite a few years and my family worked our dinner around that.....
So while everyone is bemoaning that fact that people have to work because other people want to shop, there are also a lot of people who do not mind working the holidays as they get extra money they need and might not have anyone to spend time with so they figure they can work and be around people....
And if they truly volunteered to work a Grey Thursday because they are able to (no family, no desire to spend time with family, etc.), that is something different. But if there aren't enough volunteers, then I don't see why they should be open especially if the opening hours are a new development that wasn't talked about in the last half of year.
And if they truly volunteered to work a Grey Thursday because they are able to (no family, no desire to spend time with family, etc.), that is something different. But if there aren't enough volunteers, then I don't see why they should be open especially if the opening hours are a new development that wasn't talked about in the last half of year.
Companies plan their hours months and months in advance. Just because employees don't know or pay attention does not mean the company has changed it's plans.
The big box stores are in the business of making money. They are not in the business of family time and turkey unless it's making the money. Money makes the world go round.
Don't like it? Don't work in retail. Plenty of people have to work holidays.
And for the person who said unions would help: oh you are funny!!!! Unions keep people from working on holidays? Really? Let's look shall we? People who are part of a union where I live and ALL work holidays:
Sheriff
State Police
City Police
Fire Department
EMTs
911 Call Center
Nurses
Orderlies
Bus drivers
Correction Officers
Non union workers:
Doctors
Toll Booth Workers (some are union in some areas)
Farmers
Newspaper Delivery Person
Restaurant Employees
Grocery Store Employees
Movie Theater Employees
So why complain about retail? There are plenty of people who work holidays! I worked Thanksgiving and I didn't die. I didn't even melt.
Most of these are vital jobs that have no off days period. Police are needed if Uncle Joe becomes a rowdy drunk threatening Aunt Sally with the carving knife. The fire department are needed if Uncle Tom forgot to thaw out the bird or pre-measure the oil for the bird and it started a fire on your porch because you HAD to have a deep fried turkey. The EMTs and nurses are needed for the person burned by the oil from Uncle Tom's turkey. 911 operators were needed for these calls to emergency services. The toll booth workers were needed for the travel if you used state roads that are toll roads or bridges that require tolls. Newspaper deliveries are required but in the morning and not at night for dinner. Grocery stores typically close by 2/3 on Thanksgiving if they are open because by that point everyone who forgot their cranberries or gravy found it by then and left to the house they were headed to. Gas stations are 24/7 but that is the nature of that but most close the store by 8/10 PM and you can use cards at the pump. Restaurants besides those at rest stops could very well easily be closed because not enough people would use those to keep them open with the overhead.
Companies plan their hours months and months in advance. Just because employees don't know or pay attention does not mean the company has changed it's plans.
The big box stores are in the business of making money. They are not in the business of family time and turkey unless it's making the money. Money makes the world go round.
As I said, the lemmings will only go when stores are open. If the store is held close, they cant go buy things and the store don't have much overhead.
Than, OP, those lemmings shop online at the competition of the stores, and stores create far more jobs per million of revenue t than online outlets do.
Than, OP, those lemmings shop online at the competition of the stores, and stores create far more jobs per million of revenue t than online outlets do.
They do but they don't. Many stores ramp up hiring but only for the seasonal uptick from holiday based shopping. Once January comes, most don't have that job anymore by design by either side (employer taking the best employees or not being able to hold anymore jobs or employee because they used it as a temporary income boost.)
In the interim, mkpunk, all year long Amazon's headcount is paltry compared to what a Big Box retailer's headcount would be given the same revenue.
That is the future. These jobs you detest are going bye-bye over the next several years (a huge chunk), and those poor folks working Black Friday 2014 will not be better off when that happens.
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