A dillemma straight out of a cheesy christmas movie

V

Virtua

Guest
Okay so I work at GameCrazy, and although I told the manager that I typically can't stay at my college owned apartment for holidays(since my home is 4 hours away), and that my family is planning on making a trip to north carolina which is a big deal, he has scheduled me for Christmas Eve and Christmas day closing shifts.

There are only 3 people who really work there, and one is the manager. I have been working full time (when I requested part time only)or close to it the past two weeks (which have been crazy busy cause of finals also) and now he says I can't have this time off. I figure i'll probably get canned if I don't stay.

I'd be able to stay with my girlfriend's family but it's an hour drive from there to the store.. I really like this job and I want to keep it for the summer but my mom is upset that I won't spend the holiday with my family in michigan. My girlfriend is pissed cause I don't have any time for her with this new job too.

I'm about to just say screw it and let them figure out what to do, cause the manager typically gives me all the weekend shifts and ones he doesn't want(like the christmas ones)

So do I suck it up and work the christmas days like a scrooge, or give the happy holiday ending where I learn the true meaning of christmas? I've heard another person giving some pretty bad gamecrazy testimonials in the past, so I wonder if it's even worth keeping the job if they're going to start being douchebags eventually...
 
I'd say screw it. You gave him fair warning. I wouldn't even waste gas for a 30 minute drive if I was scheduled when I told him I couldn't work.
 
Do you celebrate Christmas? If you do, I'd tell you to suggest to your management team that they fornicate themselves with something rather large, like an Xbox controller (old style) and go home and spend the holiday with your family. Who the fuck is expected to work on Christmas anyway?
 
Yeah christmas is a big deal for my family.. and yeah, it's some kind of stupid-ass GameCrazy corporate thing where all their stores are open until 10pm on both christmas eve and christmas day.. The plus side is if I did stay there, I'd just be getting paid time and a half for playing Final Fantasy 1&2 on my DS and anything else I want in the store, since NOBODY will be in the store that day.. but it's christmas..
 
suck it up and do it if you like your job and want to keep it. Don't do it and you'll likely get your hours cut and ultimatley lose your job. Back when I worked at Target, I always had to work Christmas Eve, part of being in retail.
 
Im leaning towards that, just staying and toughing it out. The plus is it's a week of staying at my gf's house.. and near the end of the semester we haven't had time to do much but fight lately. I wouldn't get to see any of my family members until easter/spring break then, though.
 
i know working in a game store can have its advantages
but dude there are so many other jobs out there that pay more have better hours and no hassle for a college student.
minimum wage in retail enviornment sux.
what u make 7 8 an hour?
u can get 10 somewhere no problem if u try and u will have more $$ and more time for the luxaries this site provides
 
Do you plan on working at GameCrazy for the rest of your life? I'm guessing the answer is no. Unless you REALLY need the money, you should DEFINITELY spend the holidays with your family - especially since you DID give the manager fair notice. Family is MUCH more important than a job with (presumably) not much of a future. If he fires you even though you already made it clear to him that you can't work holidays, you can and should complain to his superiors (GameCrazy HQ?).
 
[quote name='DaBargainHunta']Do you plan on working at GameCrazy for the rest of your life? I'm guessing the answer is no. Unless you REALLY need the money, you should DEFINITELY spend the holidays with your family - especially since you DID give the manager fair notice. Family is MUCH more important than a job with (presumably) not much of a future. If he fires you even though you already made it clear to him that you can't work holidays, you can and should complain to his superiors (GameCrazy HQ?).[/quote]

They don't care. I'm just another faceless drone to sell MVPs to the unsuspecting public.
 
Just say no!!!!!!!!! Christmas is the best time of year. You should spend it with your family. Its not worth the job to miss spending Christmas with your family. Plus, this job sounds like its stressing you out. Its not worth it. If they aren't willing to work with you, its not worth it.
 
this is the manager's fault and he knows it. He's not much older than me. He was careless in having only 3 people working for the entire holiday season. So I put up with working 40 hours during my last few weeks of school, that's fine, I survived. But to schedule me for a holiday that I said I couldn't be here for because he doesn't want to work it and he didn't hire anyone new is rediculous.
 
Tell the manager that your not coming in on Christmas. He wont be able to find anyone fast enough to replace you, so I doubt you will get fired.
 
Dude,
Easy one.
All you gotta do is call in and say you are sick and can't come in.

Now, he will know you are lying, and you know you are lying.. but as long as you stick to your guns and INSIST that you were sick. Well then he cannot fire you.. he will probably be a dick and cut your hours and mess with you.. but atleast you are not directly defying his order to come to work and it will buy you some time and he might even let it slide..
-Mike
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']Quit, and smear shit on the walls before you leave.[/quote]

LMFAO! Funny stuff but don't do it.
I would quit family is more important plus it's not like it's your career.
 
If you go to work instead of spending it w/ your family, (1) you're a fool, and (2) you will regret it. You should not have to suffer because your manager is an incompetent bunghole. This is GameCrazy we're talking about, not a CEO position at a Fortune 500 company. ;) Put things into perspective, man!
 
He wont fire you for skipping. He knows that you are the only guy he has a chance at conning into work that day, which is why you are scheduled.

The fact is you are someone he can generally rely on, so he wont can you over one incident....or is there more to this tale?
 
It's important for you guys to be open ... you know, because there's going to be tons of customers at GameCrazy on Christmas Day.

That was sarcasm, by the way. Tell your boss to eat it and spend the holiday with your family. You only get so many of them.
 
Wait, I get it now, he is just looking for validation from CAG to stick it to his family on Christmas.

Because of his "cruel" boss he will have to spend time at his gf's house(whom he hasnt seen much lately) and play final fantasy on his DS at work.

Well, just a theory I suppose.
 
I can't really tell you what to do, but I'll tell you how I would see it in your shoes.

1. You have a good job and you'd like to keep it, so you feel an obligation to work for the holidays. This also gives you time to be with your girlfriend, who I assume you've grown close to. Plus, family will always be there and there's always next Christmas

2. At the same time, it is family and you have that special time of the year where the only thing that matters is family. Everything else goes away and you're surrounded by those who love you.

I have to say that I would probably stick with working, but telling your boss that if you work the holidays, you get the number of hours you would working part time (cause that's what you applied for).

Just remember though, there won't always be tomorrow and next Christmas, so choose wisely. Cause you never know...
 
Tell them that because of your religion you can not work on Christmas. They can not fire you for that. My old manager learned that the hard way. I worked with a Jewish guy and he could not work on the sabbath so she fired him. He didnt have to have a job for a while.
 
I say fu@k big company jobs. Do whats best for you, none of those big companies really care about you, its all about the money to them. Also your manager sounds like an as$hat. I say quit and find a new job.
 
Come one man, it's a job at blockbuster. Don't show up. Isn't there like another Blockbuster like 5 miles from that one ? That's what it seems like in my town.

Try not to lose your job and don't be a dick about it, but tell him that you can not work that day. And if you are scheduled to work that day you won't show up.

He'd be a huge dick if he fired you for this one thing since you've done a great job so far. And even if he does fire you. You will find a better job. Trust me.
 
You say that you have a dilemma straight out of a cheesy Christmas movie... so maybe you'll have an ending straight out of a cheesy Christmas movie!

Imagine it... you go into work and it seems to start off as a boring day. Customers come in: a mother and father who are going to buy a buttload of gaming stuff for their kids so that they can shut them up (parents were too busy to shop before Christmas). As you are about to ring them up...

Suddenly, your family, girlfriend, etc. come bursting through the door! In unison and somehow perfect voices, they sing a Christmas song. You rush over to hug everybody, and they tell you, "You couldn't make it to Christmas, so we brought Christmas to you." Tears start flowing, and hugs and kisses are passed around in dozens.

Suddenly, the customers realize something. "Thank you, GameCrazy employee. You've not only taught us the true meaning of Christmas, but you've made us realize that we haven't been very good parents. In fact, I think that little Timmy and Wendy have these gaming thig-a-ma-jigs already..."

"Yes, they do!" says a voice from behind the customers. Who is it? None other than St. Nick himself! "Actually, Timmy and Wendy don't have those games. But if you were a better parent, you'd know those are crappy gifts! I mean, c'mon! Barbie Horse Adventure?! An N-Gage system?!"

"You're right, Santa Claus," say the customers as they place the items back on the counter as if they were animal droppings. "We'll get them some great gaming stuff... but wait a minute. We get it now! What they really want for Christmas is us! We've been way too busy with work and bills and our own pursuits that we've neglected our children and their emotions. From now on, we are spending lots of time with our kids, and they will never feel unloved again! But once their lovey-dovey attitudes wear off and they get tired of us... and wonder where their Christmas presents are, they'll need something to open."

The customers hand you a credit card, and tell you to pick out the top games for their kids. They then run home to their kids, and to a happy holiday season.

Meanwhile, there's lots of food, love, laughter, and presents in the GameCrazy store. A good time is had by all. GameCrazy may not be the ideal location for your family celebration, but it's the togetherness that counts... Fade to black, and the credits start rolling, accompanied by outtakes. :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously, though, I would pick family first. You never know how many Christmases you will get to spend with your loved ones. Anything can happen. Some people have unfortunately learned that the hard way.

In a way, you could complain that not allowing you to celebrate Christmas the way you usually celebrate it is religious discrimination (since Christmas is a religious holiday). I read about one company that gives their Christian employees the option not to work on Christmas (and their Jewish employees the option not to work during Jewish holidays, etc.) without fear of being penalized.

I'm sure that you will receive a holiday miracle and that this mess will be sorted out. Just have faith. :)
 
[quote name='jimbodan']Take this job and shove, I ain't working here no more...[/quote]

This says it all. I'd tell my boss that I'm not working those days, since you asked for them off months ago. If he says no, then quit. You can get another job. Unless your discount on video games is about 80% off, then its not really worth it.

If you love your family and love your girlfriend, get rid of this lousy job with lots of hours, spend the holidays with your family and spend more time with your girlfriend. If you don't, you probably will piss off your family and lose your girlfriend. No job, I don't care what you do, is worth that.
 
[quote name='jer7583']Yeah christmas is a big deal for my family.. and yeah, it's some kind of stupid-ass GameCrazy corporate thing where all their stores are open until 10pm on both christmas eve and christmas day.. The plus side is if I did stay there, I'd just be getting paid time and a half for playing Final Fantasy 1&2 on my DS and anything else I want in the store, since NOBODY will be in the store that day.. but it's christmas..[/quote]

I used to work at blockbuster and they would schedule me on holidays as well. IT's not worth it in the grand scheme of things, I'm guessing you get paid minimuim wage or a little better, that's nothing in terms of spending time with family. Even with time and a half. That averages to what maybe 9-10 dollars an hours for 7-8 hours. You gave him warning. Quit, I'm sure you'll be able to find another game by summer.
 
[quote name='Saucy Jack']You say that you have a dilemma straight out of a cheesy Christmas movie... so maybe you'll have an ending straight out of a cheesy Christmas movie!

Imagine it... you go into work and it seems to start off as a boring day. Customers come in: a mother and father who are going to buy a buttload of gaming stuff for their kids so that they can shut them up (parents were too busy to shop before Christmas). As you are about to ring them up...

Suddenly, your family, girlfriend, etc. come bursting through the door! In unison and somehow perfect voices, they sing a Christmas song. You rush over to hug everybody, and they tell you, "You couldn't make it to Christmas, so we brought Christmas to you." Tears start flowing, and hugs and kisses are passed around in dozens.

Suddenly, the customers realize something. "Thank you, GameCrazy employee. You've not only taught us the true meaning of Christmas, but you've made us realize that we haven't been very good parents. In fact, I think that little Timmy and Wendy have these gaming thig-a-ma-jigs already..."

"Yes, they do!" says a voice from behind the customers. Who is it? None other than St. Nick himself! "Actually, Timmy and Wendy don't have those games. But if you were a better parent, you'd know those are crappy gifts! I mean, c'mon! Barbie Horse Adventure?! An N-Gage system?!"

"You're right, Santa Claus," say the customers as they place the items back on the counter as if they were animal droppings. "We'll get them some great gaming stuff... but wait a minute. We get it now! What they really want for Christmas is us! We've been way too busy with work and bills and our own pursuits that we've neglected our children and their emotions. From now on, we are spending lots of time with our kids, and they will never feel unloved again! But once their lovey-dovey attitudes wear off and they get tired of us... and wonder where their Christmas presents are, they'll need something to open."

The customers hand you a credit card, and tell you to pick out the top games for their kids. They then run home to their kids, and to a happy holiday season.

Meanwhile, there's lots of food, love, laughter, and presents in the GameCrazy store. A good time is had by all. GameCrazy may not be the ideal location for your family celebration, but it's the togetherness that counts... Fade to black, and the credits start rolling, accompanied by outtakes. :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously, though, I would pick family first. You never know how many Christmases you will get to spend with your loved ones. Anything can happen. Some people have unfortunately learned that the hard way.

In a way, you could complain that not allowing you to celebrate Christmas the way you usually celebrate it is religious discrimination (since Christmas is a religious holiday). I read about one company that gives their Christian employees the option not to work on Christmas (and their Jewish employees the option not to work during Jewish holidays, etc.) without fear of being penalized.

I'm sure that you will receive a holiday miracle and that this mess will be sorted out. Just have faith. :)[/quote]

That story was a little saucy....... jack
 
[quote name='starman9000']He wont fire you for skipping. He knows that you are the only guy he has a chance at conning into work that day, which is why you are scheduled.

The fact is you are someone he can generally rely on, so he wont can you over one incident....or is there more to this tale?[/quote]

I only started not even a month ago.. and I have been a good employee. I sell the MVPs, I am nice to people, and I've been working twice as many hours as I signed up for, even though it's been killing me getting 4 hours of sleep a night during finals here. I don't steal stuff, I don't piss off customers.. I am starting to agree with you guys more.. Not about just skipping and quitting but maybe telling them that this isn't working out right now and I might get back with them in the summer when I can actually work full time.
 
Christmas is a religious holiday. It is against the law for them to force you to work and it is also against the law for them to fire you as a result. Go home and enjoy the holiday.
 
[quote name='javeryh']Christmas is a religious holiday. It is against the law for them to force you to work and it is also against the law for them to fire you as a result. Go home and enjoy the holiday.[/quote]

Well some people do HAVE to work on holidays--doctors, nurses, food service at hospitals, military, EMT's, police, fire fighters, nuclear techs, ect....heck even a cashier at a gas station may be essential....but a video game store , and correct me if I'm wrong, is not exactly essential for society to continue to function. Actually I would hope that your manager, after hearing that you shan't be working, decides to say enough to corporate--be a maverick-- and say, " This store shant be open Christmas day!
 
well the corporate wins again, sorta..

Im still gonna work christmas eve and day but I get the week after christmas off to spend with family.. IDK if they intend on firing me still, but I've got the job and can go home for now, awesome. I like the job a lot.. check out my thread on the Xbox Forum for one of the many perks..
 
[quote name='jer7583']well the corporate wins again, sorta..

Im still gonna work christmas eve and day but I get the week after christmas off to spend with family.. IDK if they intend on firing me still, but I've got the job and can go home for now, awesome. I like the job a lot.. check out my thread on the Xbox Forum for one of the many perks..[/quote]

Well I still think you lost, so what if you have a week off. Unless your getting paid that week your off I'm not impressed. Watch they are going to make your ass work on New Years Eve & Day.

And then if you last that long I bet they'll have you work Feb 14th. I'm sure your GF will love that.
 
Wow, jer7583, I wish I could flame the shit out of you right now for being so fucking stupid, but I'll respectfully avoid going that route. That fucking piece of shit bunghole bumfuck manager of yours at GameCrazy is NOT worth a god damn cent. Damn, don't you see that, you crazy kid? You need to be at home on Christmas spending time with your family, and the fact that you feel so loyal to a nothing-happening, dead-end, minimum wage cesspool of a job like the one you have at GameCrazy is absolutely, positively mind-boggling to me. There is NO future in this job. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Unless you are fucking DESPERATE for money to the point where you're living in a box, I hope someone in your family gets through to you before next week. The manager fucked up, but guess who's gonna pay the price? That's right, YOU - the wishy-washy, weakling, sap, towel boy. This manager now knows that he has you by the balls and can lift you up by them and shove them in his mouth whenever he wants.

Sorry for the crazed rant, jer7583. I went off on you and the situation so harshly because I care. :) Please don't take it personally. I honestly have your best interests in mind here, and it makes me angry to see how easily you're being manipulated and how willingly you're succumbing to that manipulation.

NOTE: All of that stupid "Shaq-fu" shit was inserted by a filter in place of the word I actually used (I'm sure you can figure out which word that was). :)
 
[quote name='DaBargainHunta']Wow, jer7583, I wish I could flame the shit out of you right now for being so shaq-fuing stupid, but I'll respectfully avoid going that route. That shaq-fuing piece of shit bunghole bumfuck manager of yours at GameCrazy is NOT worth a god damn cent. Damn, don't you see that, you crazy kid? You need to be at home on Christmas spending time with your family, and the fact that you feel so loyal to a nothing-happening, dead-end, minimum wage cesspool of a job like the one you have at GameCrazy is absolutely, positively mind-boggling to me. There is NO future in this job. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Unless you are shaq-fuing DESPERATE for money to the point where you're living in a box, I hope someone in your family gets through to you before next week. The manager shaq-fued up, but guess who's gonna pay the price? That's right, YOU - the wishy-washy, weakling, sap, towel boy. This manager now knows that he has you by the balls and can lift you up by them and shove them in his mouth whenever he wants.

Sorry for the crazed rant, jer7583. I went off on you and the situation so harshly because I care. :) Please don't take it personally. I honestly have your best interests in mind here, and it makes me angry to see how easily you're being manipulated and how willingly you're succumbing to that manipulation.

NOTE: All of that stupid "Shaq-fu" shit was inserted by a filter in place of the word I actually used (I'm sure you can figure out which word that was). :)[/quote]

Life isn't always fair. I saw this as the best comprimise i could reach. I'll be driving home on christmas day and get a week to spend with my family after that (including new years) and I get to keep an awesome job. I really wanted to keep this job for the summer when I actually need money to pay for an apartment and bills, because if i lose this job, there's a good chance I end up working in some fast food shithole like last summer. I think I can put up with two days of crap to get a whole summer worth of a good job.
 
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