Wal-Mart executive: 'Employees are really excited to be working on Thanksgiving'

[Lace Neil Singer]

This year, I am not working Christmas Eve for the first time in fifteen years. I will say this first of all that I don't mind working Christmas Eve; the petrol station closes early, most customers are cheery (apart from one or two Grinches and Scrooges; they usually show up when we're closing or after we've closed) and afterwards, I dash home, grab a sandwich then shower and change ready for a night down the pub.

However, in my last two jobs, Christmas Eve was automatically given as a day off (unless it fell on a day off for a single person) to people with kids, which just rubbed me up the wrong way. It ought to work out as first come, first served if you want that day off; you shouldn't just expect it cuz you've produced offspring. Once, Christmas Eve naturally fell on my day off so I was immediately sprung upon by a collegue with kids who'd assumed that she'd get that day off, but since she hadn't said anything, she was given it to work. I would have swapped with her but for two reasons. One, that she kept on and on and on at me, and two, that she kept saying, "And seeing as you don't have a family..." as tho I just appeared out of thin air, or budded or something. I refused to swap cuz she'd pissed me off too much, and she went into a sulk.

Anyway, back on topic; three of my collegues are genuinely happy to work on Boxing Day. They volunteered for the shift, and the petrol station closes at five anyway so there's loads of time for family time. That way, there are happy collegues cuz anyone who doesn't want to work it doesn't have to, and those who want to work it, can. Everyone wins!

[AccountingDrone]

One, that she kept on and on and on at me, and two, that she kept saying, "And seeing as you don't have a family..." as tho I just appeared out of thin air, or budded or something. I refused to swap cuz she'd pissed me off too much, and she went into a sulk.
!

That is when you gleefully pop out with something like

Why you are absolutely correct! At the orphanage I was voted the most likely to succeed!!!eleventy!!!1!

in your chirpiest voice. Then continue with

And the savings on never having to buy presents for family, or have to sit through an entire boring long Christmas Day watching them unwrap presents is just a bonus!!1

Hmf, as if single people have no families, unless you are orphaned you will have family, and they would probably like to have you participate in whatever is going on as well.

[HYHYBT]

Now, it does make sense to look among single people first for those who don't mind working; you might not be visiting parents or siblings anyway, whether because you don't het along or because they're too far away. But that's an individual thing, and certainly needs to go out the window once you're beyond volunteers and are making people work who don't want to.

[tabbyblack13]

Where I work overtime is counted on top of holiday pay. We try to let people off on the holidays if they have PTO. A lot of people like working holidays because they are either far from family or they have holiday arrangement due to other arraignments.

The 12 hr shifts sucks but one day can pay a lot.

[Ginger Tea]

In my last job I think I worked all public holidays, or damn near all of them, I might have had one new years day off but I think I worked all Christmases cept for the one where I got sent home early for kicking off, but it was the same year my Mother passed away and December 25th is her birthday (23rd for my Father too) I never got hassle on the days leading up to even though it got a bit hectic in production due to the closure of the kitchen on both Christmas day and new years day so they had to get a day ahead in everything over the week prior so working on my fathers birthday was never a biggie, but ho boy I came close to quitting on 2 Christmas days due to one co worker on both days I let the last one wash over me as we knew we were closing anyway I just don't recall if we had a date by then.

We had a few no shows New Years day, one called in at 2 or 3 am leaving a message saying he was sick, but failed to tell the people in the party he was at to turn the music and chatter down, another tried getting off the day by being in a village out of town with no transportation, work offered to pay his taxi fee to get there, he showed up and told me he lied cos he didn't want to show up and got hammered at the party he went to even though he knew he was working and didn't even put his name down to be off, Agency workers normally get first dibs as they cost us more to hire in a way as the agency takes a cut. He was sent home within half hour as he was still wired from whatever he took clubbing.

I didn't mind working those days (cept for my golden rule of don't piss me off on my Mothers birthday, I even said "I don't give a fuck about that guy and his cross" at one point) my mother was sad that I couldn't make it up for Christmas 04, I almost didn't make it up in 03 the year I moved, so I went up in February for a late one instead, plus it used up my abundant annual leave.

I was the go to person for swapping shifts or coming in on my day off or staying the whole day once they expanded and the picking understandably took longer.

I don't even know what days are now actual 'do not work' days, bank holiday Monday's the shops are open, Sundays too, I think it's just Christmas day and new years day that are a given except for circumstances like hospitals and emergency services (and my old job).

If I end up working retail I would probably take my days as the rota dictates, my last job had a fixed 3 week rota so I could always tell when I would be off on a weekend (and not go out over it) but at least I could make plans for the near future, not knowing till Friday if I am working on Monday or not would annoy, I wouldn't know my start time, but I knew I would be working, so I just automatically assumed I would start on the early shift.

Also I am not religious so I would also join those who either are, but of a different faith where the 25th is meaningless, in being able and willing to work around that time period with little to no fuss as long as I wasn't being made a mug of.
If you pay me more to work on a day because someone some time said today is a holiday and you should not work, but over time people did, well I would rather have the money, granted as I see it as any other day, it doesn't mean I don't expect to be compensated fairly, I never remember bank holidays, but you bet I will make sure I get that time and a half or whatever for working it.

[Peppergirl]

I work in a 24/7 call center. Holiday pay is 1.5 times your normal pay for the hours you work on the holiday, plus holiday pay.

Christmas Day is the exception: it's double pay, plus holiday, plus comp time which ends up equaling out to about 4x pay.

The way it works is this: They ask for volunteers 7 hour shifts each. If they don't get enough volunteers, anyone whose regular work day falls on the particular holiday will be required to work their regularly scheduled shift, based upon seniority. So in essence, if there's not enough volunteers to cover Labor day (a Monday) and your regular shift falls on a Monday, you have to work if you're low man on the totem pole according to seniority.

In the 7 years I've been here, only ONE time did the above happen. And there are 6 paid holidays per year. Not bad.

As for me, I have worked every single one for the past 7 years, except for like twice. The only semi-holiday I don't volunteer for is Christmas Eve, because we don't get anything extra out of it.

Speaking for my opinion of retail being open on Thanksgiving, I think it sucks. If the employees are ASKED to work and given extra to do so, I'm less annoyed by it..but if they're forced, it pisses me off.

I personally won't be shopping on Thanksgiving.

[bex1218]

I work 5 hrs on Thanksgiving and probably same for Christmas. New Years day isn't as bad, I don't mind working a full shift. Get a nice holiday pay. We get paid that plus 8 hrs. And if you are full time employee, you get paid 8 hrs if you have off (rare on those two days). But, you have to work your sched shift the day before and after to get that pay. Its not hard.

They sched us around. If someone needs to change something, a coworker might switch. I work 12-5. I am happy with that shift. Sleep in, and after work spend time with some family.

[Sarah Valentine]

I volunteered to work thanksgiving, our store is only open until I think either 4 or 5 pm. My bosses sister as well as 2 of his friends are spending the holiday with him and my coworkers son is bringing over his new grandson, my family doesn't start sitting down to eat until 4:30-5 anyway (plus I need the money) so I said I'd do it.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I couldn't work Boxing Day even if I wanted to; I'll be staying with my parents and since there is no public transport and I can't drive, and everyone there will have had several glasses of wine or beer, there's literally no way I could get to work. But since there are people who are willing to work it, it doesn't matter.

I worked Christmas Day once, for two hours, back when I worked at the shire horse farm cuz the horses and the animals on the farm needed to be fed and looked after, even on Christmas Day. Everyone working there split the day between them, so that no-one had to work the entire day themselves, and we all got double pay.

I remember having a good laugh with a co-worker during my two hour shift, when we were heading round feeding the horses and farm animals, cuz we saw a lone car driving into the carpark. It was idiot members of the general public, who for some strange reason thought the park was open on Christmas Day. They wandered over to the entrance and found it barricaded and empty, then walked over to the fence and tried to attract our attention by yelling.

We ignored them, cuz hey, we were just there to look after the animals and the idiots shouldn't have been there anyway. XD By the way, there was a giant billboard by the entrance to the car park saying that the park was closed Christmas and Boxing Day, so if they chose to ignore that, then that's their problem.

[Andara Bledin]

What I find funny about the petitions about not making people work on holidays: I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that a good chunk of the people who sign them can be found shopping on those same days...

[Ginger Tea]

Yep, I wont take a wager against that.

As I said before, I do not know which if any dates are now considered actual holidays in the UK aside from Christmas and New Years, some stores now open on boxing day, how much is processing returns of unwanted gifts I can not say, but as I worked bank holidays and the 24 hour Tesco was open when I finished (although they shut at 10 those days and opened again 6am Tuesday) I never knew if my popping in on the way home counted as an "I am a part of the problem" sale or not, it was on the way home and I could leave it for a day, but it was open so I shopped if needed.

I don't think I have ever said "It's a shame you are working on a holiday" or a variant there of and I hope I never will, being in an open store on an 'everywhere else is closed' holiday and spouting that comment means they must know that them shopping is the only reason the store is open, yet woe be gone should they come to the store on Thanksgiving or 4th of July and find the store closed and them out of Turkey or booze.

Even if supermarkets close earlier than 10 on a bank holiday, they normally are open long enough for the 9-5er's to finish work (if they too are working retail) to swing by to pick up those absolute essentials, but half the time knowing the store closes early Monday might prompt me to buy food on Saturday (should I remember its a bank holiday that is).

[KellyHabersham]

The library isn't open on Thanksgiving, but we ARE open for three hours the morning of Christmas Eve......apparently so staff can work a four-hour shift and the public can have access to our services.

[protege]

The library isn't open on Thanksgiving, but we ARE open for three hours the morning of Christmas Eve......apparently so staff can work a four-hour shift and the public can have access to our services.

I don't have a problem with that. I mean, some people might want to stock up on reading material during the winter. I know I would, if I didn't have a huge library at home But seriously, I usually work Christmas Eve until about 2PM. The markets close early, and I'm home by 2:45.

What bugs me, is that certain co-irkers of mine...just *love* going shopping Thanksgiving because of the deals. Seriously?

[lordlundar]

What I find funny about the petitions about not making people work on holidays: I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that a good chunk of the people who sign them can be found shopping on those same days...

Do I look like I go for sucker bets?

[Lace Neil Singer]

I wouldn't even dream of going shopping on Boxing Day or New Year's Day... Boxing Day in my family is traditionally a bit of a party, cuz it's my middle brother's birthday, and New Year's Day I'm usually recovering from a wild night out New Year's Eve. XD

It's funny, but I remember as a kid that most places closed at lunchtime Christmas Eve and didn't open again til the day after Boxing Day... the only shop that did stay open all day Christmas Eve was the newsagents and that was run by people who didn't celebrate Christmas. I still don't remember any issues; people just did a massive shop and filled their cars the day before Christmas Eve.