Now personally I’m unlikely to shop on Thanksgiving, because crowds and shopping are annoying and I have other things I’d rather do, but lately I’ve seen many people and media outlets up in arms about the terrible injustice committed against retail workers by stores being open on Thanksgiving and the assholes who shop that day. Some people I know even plan to permanently boycott the offending stores. What am I missing here? What makes retail workers above working on a holiday while so many other jobs must also be done on this day? Law enforcement, hospital workers, hotel workers, etc. don’t get an automatic day off, so why should a Target worker?
Because law enforcement and hospitals are emergency services which have to be open 24/7, 365 days a year. Target does not.
I don’t necessarily think people who shop on Thanksgiving are assholes, but the stores who choose not to close are.
I give Drug stores a pass, since dudes may need medicines, etc. But regular retail stores? Nope.
We do go to see a Movie after dinner.
Did you forget a smiley?
Yeah, you answered your own question: those other jobs are jobs that must be done on Thanksgiving. Shopping is something you can put off until another day.
In addition, stores being open for holiday shopping on Thanksgiving is, I believe, a relatively recent phenomenon. It didn’t use to be that way, so it’s seen, not as an inevitability, but as increasing consumerism at the expense of workers and families.
Doctors, firefighters, power plant engineers, etc. go into those jobs knowing that the job has a 24/7 critical need.
There isn’t a 24/7 critical need for shelf stockers at the department store.
Huh?
Sure, one COULD shop another day, but why the idea that this particular day is somehow off-limits? It seems childish. I worked every holiday for eleven years when I owned a business, as did most of my employees, because there was work that needed to get done and money to be collected: the money I used to pay them and keep them in jobs, which they recognized and did not complain about much. Not everyone WANTS to avoid working on holidays anyway. Sitting at home alone on Thanksgiving is more depressing than going to work for many people, so why not just pay them enough extra to make it more enticing, give them shorter shifts if possible, and not act like going to Target is an assault on human rights?
It’s not cool for people to have to work at retail stores (except drug stores), but it’s fine for people to have to work at movie theaters? What is the difference?
You do realize that going to see a movie after dinner on Thanksgiving is literally no different than going shopping. If you’re against stores being open that day, you should be against theaters being open as well. The idea behind this whole movement is that you shouldn’t shop so these people can be home with their families (which you appear to support), but you’re not letting them if you’re going to see a movie.
If Target could guarantee that every employee working Thanksgiving actually prefers to be there instead of at home, then I have no problem with it. But somehow I doubt that’s the case. Most people have families and there is no reason why they can’t have one day off with the majority of the American workforce.
“Childish”? People wanting to spend the holiday with their families is “childish”?
How did your family feel about not having you around on holidays? Or do you not have a family?
[QUOTE=Charles Dickens]
“You’ll want all day to-morrow, I suppose?” said Scrooge.
“If quite convenient, sir.”
“It’s not convenient,” said Scrooge, “and it’s not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you’d think yourself ill-used, I’ll be bound?”
The clerk smiled faintly.
“And yet,” said Scrooge, “you don’t think me ill-used, when I pay a day’s wages for no work.”
The clerk observed that it was only once a year.
“A poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth of December!” said Scrooge, buttoning his great-coat to the chin. “But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning.”
[/QUOTE]
This. In college and after, I had friends who wouldn’t be able to make it home for the holidays, and since they worked in the service industry (food, retail, etc.), they gladly worked on Thanksgiving. It allowed them to make some extra money (their jobs gladly compensated for working on the holidays) and it kept their minds off of not being with their family, since they were around co-workers and other people.
Now, I’m of two minds when it comes to the places that refuse any requests for time off during the holiday season. On one hand, it’s your job so you should be subject (within reason) to requests and policies by your employer, but on the other hand, I empathize with people who cannot spend time with loved ones for fear of losing their jobs.
Most would rather be at home on the other days too. There is a reason people are paid to go to work. But why should I care about a group just because it has more members? People who don’t have families to spend the holiday with and prefer to go to work seem more sympathetic to me. Those with families have them the other 364 days too.
They only are open because people will shop. So the blame goes back on the shopper.
Going to the theater is just as bad. Maybe worse because you don’t get special deals.
I refuse to go to movies on holidays anymore.
Go on Friday.
People wanting to spend a particular entire day seems childish to me. Enjoy your family every day.
My family was working too, and we were happy we’d be able to keep our business running and pay our employees. Not working was never a possibility.
Not necessarily. Thanksgiving is often one of the few times that extended families get together, which often involves out-of-town travel.
How does it help the employee when you refuse to frequent the business they work for?
So they live so far away this is your only chance to see them, but they will be in town for only the span of your work shift? I doubt many people fall into this category and are not allowed to trade shifts or anything.
Besides, shitty jobs are shitty and if your job is not worth the kinds of sacrifices it requires, it’s time to find one that is.
I really thought that the popularity of on-line shopping would’ve put a massive dent in Thanksgiving / Black Friday shopping, because I figured people would prefer the convenience of being able to avoid the crowds, waking up so early, etc.
I later learned that, for some people, the Black Friday chaos is a family tradition. It takes all kinds, I guess…