# Are people assholes if they shop on Thanksgiving? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-assholes-if-they-shop-on-thanksgiving/705284 "2014-11-21T19:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-assholes-if-they-shop-on-thanksgiving/705284/163 "2014-12-02T02:49:32Z")
I never saw an issue with this. I work for an NPO and we deal with the state and do a lot of work with the AID office and try to get people off AID and employed. Sure it’d be nice to give retail workers a day off, but I know of few places that pay retail workers for holidays. So yeah it’s real nice of you to give that Walmart employee a day off, but now she’s short eight hours of pay. That’s not so nice. They need their money far more than a day off, especially since they are fighting for hours to start with and most don’t even work 40 hours. Don’t forget they get scheduled for 40 hours then employers don’t pay them for an hour or half hour lunch. So they work less. So just remember your kindness of giving employees a day off usually results in them just losing money. And any effort would be far better off spent, trying to change the law to give all employees paid holidays. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-assholes-if-they-shop-on-thanksgiving/705284/164 "2014-12-03T15:28:26Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > Really? You mean your store, your employer, _cannot_ require anyone to work on holidays? That if you and everyone else opted to spend Thanksgiving at home, the store would be closed–and all your jobs still secure the next day? Theoretically, yes. But there’s always someone (pick me, pick me, pick me!) who doesn’t celebrate, who needs the cash, and/or who is willing to leave the festivities for a few hours. Last Xmas, it was this pagan, the Jewish manager, and a couple of other people working. While we normally work at least four hours in a shift, on the major hours shifts are only two hours long, so most people are willing to come to work for two or four hours. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-assholes-if-they-shop-on-thanksgiving/705284/165 "2014-12-03T16:18:39Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > This whole thread is hilarious. There’s about 47 different beliefs people are railing at each other over, totally at cross purposes. It’s a hoot. > > Anyway, I think a lot is being missed. The issue truly seems to be (1) the people in retail who actually have to face the madness _on_ Thanksgiving and (2) the encroaching of buying at a time when it’s totally unnecessary. So, addressing point (1), I’m sure people _can_ be assholes for putting workers through that sort of inanity for crap at, say, Walmart. This isn’t comparable to other things at all (like a theatre, restaurant, or a convenience store) because no one is risking life and limb to show _The Hunger Games_, serve a plate of linguine or for providing gum / migraine pills / oil. . Yes, right. And in my case, we always go to a local non-chain theatre, where I know the employees, and they are very happy to get the extra pay (they get a paid day and paid again, so it’s double pay in a way). There’s no shortage of volunteers to work that day. I dont know if that’s happening at KMart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-people-assholes-if-they-shop-on-thanksgiving/705284.md?page=8)