why are people up in arms over people having to work Thanksgiving?

[natto fire]

Ignorance is bliss in this thread, but at least it is going for a good cause of enjoying the holidays instead of the normal ignorance.

 

[Exterous]

Really? So all of those Thanksgiving dinners at restaurants around the country are going to cook and serve themselves?

What does that have to do with the average hours worked? No where did I say they would cook themselves or that no one else worked at all on Thanksgiving - this is about the total hours of required work. You really think the average restaurant is going to require 99% of their employees to work both days?

 

[ultimatebob]

They're the only things that retailers sell. Do you know a lot of people that will be out shopping for Black Friday deals on fighter jets, industrial equipment, or bulk containers of hazmat Thursday.

Now think very hard... What is the topic of this thread...

Dammit... and I was holding out of a Black Friday BOGO deal on the new F-35

 

[Ackmed]

I dont get it either.

Many people have to work on Thanksgiving. What makes retail workers special?

Lets see

Police Officers
Fire Fighters
Utility Workers(Power plant workers, waste water treatment plant workers etc)
The hospitality industry(hotel workers)
Restaurant workers(many resturants have been open on Thanksgiving long before stores started opening for part of the day)
Nurses(for 30 years my mom has been required to work either Thanksgiving Day or Xmas day, and not just a few hours, but a full 12 hour shift)
Drs

I am currently deployed to Africa with the Marine Corps. They don't do anything for Thanksgiving here obviously, just another work day for me. This is 3 out of the last 5 I have spent overseas. Iraq, then Afghan, now here.

That being said, I don't like them forcing people to work either. I hope they ask for volunteers first. They're being greedy doing this black Friday shit, which I hate anyways. I do agree that too many places are open on Thanksgiving. And not every place gives you OT for it like some poster earlier tried to claim. I assure you the Marine Corps does not give me OT for it. In fact, most days just run together here for me. I don't really see the issue with closing for one fucking day, two if you count Christmas. Stay with family, relax and eat. Watch football, play video games, go to the park, whatever. People don't have to go shopping, or out to eat. Just one of many things Americans are getting away from that I don't like.

 

[BoberFett]

"I've got mine, F-You!"

The free market dogmatists should be coming into this thread soon to explain how if people don't like working on Thanksgiving they should find better jobs from the mystical magic jobs tree.

Oh look, another idiot that believes companies are open holidays because CEOs enjoy making employees work, employees that cost money for each hour they're there. Newsflash dipshit, the American consumer drives this. Retailers would LOVE to be open less and cut down on labor costs, but consumers expect stores to be open 24/7 for their convenience.

 

[BoberFett]

What does that have to do with the average hours worked? No where did I say they would cook themselves or that no one else worked at all on Thanksgiving - this is about the total hours of required work. You really think the average restaurant is going to require 99% of their employees to work both days?

Keep moving the goalposts if that makes you feel better about yourself, tool.

 

[OverVolt]

"Extending the holiday season" doesn't really matter IMO.

If there are less days in the holiday shopping season I'm still going to get the same amount of shopping done.

The only reason to do it is to try and out compete other retailers for sales by getting dollars that were going to be spent anyway first before they can be spent elsewhere. Greed could end up hurting the longterm image of Christmas and black friday but corporations aren't exactly thinking long term lately. There seems to be increasing resentment over thanksgiving day sales and stores open overnight on thanksgiving.

 

[BoberFett]

"Extending the holiday season" doesn't really matter IMO.

If there are less days in the holiday shopping season I'm still going to get the same amount of shopping done.

The only reason to do it is to try and out compete other retailers for sales by getting dollars that were going to be spent anyway first before they can be spent elsewhere. Greed could end up hurting the longterm image of Christmas and black friday but corporations aren't exactly thinking long term lately. There seems to be increasing resentment over thanksgiving day sales and stores open overnight on thanksgiving.

If corporations are worried about losing sales to competitors the afternoon of Thanksgiving, it's because consumers insist on starting their shopping immediately.

The concept of Black Friday existed long before the whole Black Friday Deal craze started. It's because consumers ALREADY went out en masse to shop the day after Thanksgiving. If everyone refuses to shop Thursday, stores will stay closed on Thanksgiving next year. I predict stores will be jam packed Thursday evening, and retailers will have the evidence to continue moving the time forward next year.

 

[Sonikku]

Working on Thanksgiving is completely voluntary for everyone. The most you can lose is your job. Walmart is hardly holding a gun to your head making sure you'll show up.

 

[ultimatebob]

Working on Thanksgiving is completely voluntary for everyone. The most you can lose is your job. Walmart is hardly holding a gun to your head making sure you'll show up.

Something tells me that your average Walmart employee can't afford to be unemployed for all that long. They are kinda stuck there until something better comes along... assuming that they are even willing to look.

 

[ThinClient]

Something tells me that your average Walmart employee can't afford to be unemployed for all that long. They are kinda stuck there until something better comes along... assuming that they are even willing to look.

Walmart, on average, pays more than $10 per hour and that was like 6 years ago.

Unskilled workers waiting for something better to come along LOL

Whatever.

Those workers move up the food chain at Walmart. They gain skills, they refine skills. They don't just live 80 years working as checker at Walmart.

 

[Veliko]

Working on Thanksgiving is completely voluntary for everyone.

Walmart employees tend to be right at the bottom of the food chain, so it'll be less voluntary for them than it is for some other workers.

Which leads us nicely onto...

The most you can lose is your job.

...this statement. If losing your job is a likely consequence of refusing to work on Thanksgiving then it's not voluntary.

Also, if previous threads on this forum are anything to go by, being unemployed is a sin, especially if caused by a refusal to work during a holiday.

Walmart is hardly holding a gun to your head making sure you'll show up.

No, just wielding the spectre of unemployment during an economic downturn.

 

[gorcorps]

I agree that they should at least ask who actually WANTS to work the holidays, and then fill in as needed. After that though, it's part of the job. I don't have to work, and there are plenty of other jobs that give the holidays off too. If you don't like working the holidays then get a job that doesn't require it. I busted my ass and moved nearly 1000 miles from home for this gig, so frankly my patience with some of these people whining is rather thin.

 

[TerryMathews]

"I've got mine, F-You!"

The free market dogmatists should be coming into this thread soon to explain how if people don't like working on Thanksgiving they should find better jobs from the mystical magic jobs tree.

Chick Fil A is hiring, and they dont work those holidays...

 

[Ksyder]

I am one of the hotel workers that is mentioned and the way we do it is to post a sign up sheet for the holidays. Whoever is willing to work signs up. Usually people will work. Full time employees get double time on the major holidays. Its usually no big deal as there is minimal staff and the place is dead.

Personally I'm going to work thanksgiving. Its fine by me. I'll get extra pay and I'll still be out by 11 to catch thanksgiving with the family.

 

[Azraele]

Its the policy of some employers of forcing their employees to work on a holiday that doesn't agree with me. I don't mind if the store wants to be open but the day should be an option for employees.

Days like this are for family time imo. You may have some people that would willing want to work and thats fine too.

So much this.

 

[sao123]

I am in the opposite category:

I just found out the office will be closed Wed at noon through Monday morning. That means almost 3 days worth of pay I won't be getting. Fucking sucks because its Christmas time and I was planning on going all out.

I feel like Clark getting his Jam of the Month Club envelope.

Maybe you should get a real job with paid holidays.

 

[Midwayman]

What's the difference? Grocery stores and theaters aren't exactly mission critical, but all of their low income employees are working holidays too. What makes retail special?

The only people stretching are those that think retail is special.

Well I don't think any of those should be open on thanksgiving either. However the difference is that most of those the timing is actually important. Being able to run out and get an ingredient you missed may be the difference between a successful holiday meal and none at all. The time is important with restaurants and theatres. When you do some stuff is a very material aspect of the experience. Buying your kid a ps4 on Thanksgiving night vs the next day when it won't be opened for a month? No real need.

 

[BoberFett]

Well I don't think any of those should be open on thanksgiving either. However the difference is that most of those the timing is actually important. Being able to run out and get an ingredient you missed may be the difference between a successful holiday meal and none at all. The time is important with restaurants and theatres. When you do some stuff is a very material aspect of the experience. Buying your kid a ps4 on Thanksgiving night vs the next day when it won't be opened for a month? No real need.

So buy what you need beforehand instead of making a bunch of minimum wage grocery store clerks work on Thanksgiving to make up for your lack of planning. Then that afternoon, try actually talking to your family or playing a board game instead of sitting in a dark theater and ignoring each other. Those minimum wage theater employees can enjoy a day off. Stop being so greedy.

 

[nageov3t]

gotta issue a new edict for my family next year... Thanksgiving is the only day we'll get to spend together. any other day = me time. :thumbsup:

 

[ch33zw1z]

Well I don't think any of those should be open on thanksgiving either. However the difference is that most of those the timing is actually important. Being able to run out and get an ingredient you missed may be the difference between a successful holiday meal and none at all. The time is important with restaurants and theatres. When you do some stuff is a very material aspect of the experience. Buying your kid a ps4 on Thanksgiving night vs the next day when it won't be opened for a month? No real need.

Please point out a single ingredient that would ruin a holiday meal if forgotten.

If you can't plan ahead, why is that anyone's problem but your own?

 

[BoberFett]

RAAAWWWWWRRRRRR! HOLIDAYS ARE IMPORTANT!!!! CLOSE ALL THE STORES!!!!

Now let's go see a movie kids!

 

[nageov3t]

sounds like Walmart and Target employees are at least getting overtime.

The Thanksgiving barrier has been breached by retailers, and the previously untouchable holiday is now just another day on which to have a big sale. In an attempt to win over employees who may not be too thrilled about having to eat Thanksgiving dinner at noon so they can make it to work on time, some stores are providing perks to workers who sacrifice their Turkey Day in the name of doorbuster deals.

The L.A. Times reports that Walmart is giving 25% discounts on certain purchases to employees who work this Thanksgiving. More importantly, they will get an additional day’s pay equal to that worker’s average daily pay in the 12 previous weeks.

Meanwhile Toys R Us employees get to wear jeans and sneakers… because if you’re going to tear them away from their families, they might as well be comfy.

Kohl’s and the Gap Inc. trinity — Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic — will be doing vague, fun things for workers, which mostly seems to indicate that there will be snacks.

One mall that is part of the Simon Property Group chain will be hosting a five-hour, multi-course Thanksgiving dinner for employees.

Target claims that its workers will get additional pay beyond the standard holiday wages.

Macy’s, the company that is arguably to blame for commercializing the holiday by sponsoring that unholy caravan of massive, inflatable cartoon characters through the streets of Manhattan (and right to the chain’s flagship store) says that this survey sent to employees back in late September to see if the store should open on Thanksgiving was all in the service of giving employees time to tell their families that they will be working on the holiday.

http://consumerist.com/2013/11/27/retailers-try-to-win-over-employees-who-work-this-thanksgiving/

now I feel like I should go shopping tomorrow to support employees ability to make extra money.

 

[OutHouse]

Because it's unnecessary. It's stores carrying trivialities for materialistic, shallow people. It's America's shame unsubtly shoved in everyone's faces.

this.

 

[OutHouse]

i would be all for the government making a law declaring that all retail shops must be closed on thanksgiving and xmas.

that would be so awesome.