Employees working Thanksgiving
- Thread starter Vysion
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The people make those policies don't care.
However, let's be honest: You sign up for a retail job, and retail = SRS BIZNESS from Black Friday through all of December. So, in a way, it's really hard to have a legit complaint. I hated it, so I stopped working in retail.
However, let's be honest: You sign up for a retail job, and retail = SRS BIZNESS from Black Friday through all of December. So, in a way, it's really hard to have a legit complaint. I hated it, so I stopped working in retail.
[quote name='lilboo']The people make those policies don't care.
However, let's be honest: You sign up for a retail job, and retail = SRS BIZNESS from Black Friday through all of December. So, in a way, it's really hard to have a legit complaint. I hated it, so I stopped working in retail.[/QUOTE]
On the other hand, it wasn't until this year that nearly every retailer decided to open at midnight thus cutting into the employee's Thanksgiving evening plans. Prior to this most stores, while opening very early, still allowed employees to have their time with their families. The fact that some stores decided mere weeks (read: Target, who didn't even so much as hint to employees in the store of their midnight plans until the day of the public announcement) before Thanksgiving doesn't give much of an opportunity to many employees to make other arrangements (i.e., quit).
I just recently came back to work for Target and when they decided they were opening at midnight I gave serious thought to walking away. Ultimately though, since I received a bump in my position upon coming back, and working Black Friday was part of that discussion, I decided I'll just comply. Still, I think it's a load of BS for many employees who, if they had to travel for Thanksgiving may now be completely deprived of any Thanksgiving with family out of town.
At the end of the day its not really going to matter though because they're not generating increased sales by opening earlier, all they're doing is shifting their sales to earlier in the day. I'm fairly certain that while stores will probably be able to stay busy till about 10am-12 pm, after that its going to be completely dead in those stores because everyone's going to go home and go to bed after lunch.
One thing I definitely agree with you about though is that the people making those policy decisions don't care. Its not like they're the ones who have to get up early, they can get their proletarians to do it for them.
However, let's be honest: You sign up for a retail job, and retail = SRS BIZNESS from Black Friday through all of December. So, in a way, it's really hard to have a legit complaint. I hated it, so I stopped working in retail.[/QUOTE]
On the other hand, it wasn't until this year that nearly every retailer decided to open at midnight thus cutting into the employee's Thanksgiving evening plans. Prior to this most stores, while opening very early, still allowed employees to have their time with their families. The fact that some stores decided mere weeks (read: Target, who didn't even so much as hint to employees in the store of their midnight plans until the day of the public announcement) before Thanksgiving doesn't give much of an opportunity to many employees to make other arrangements (i.e., quit).
I just recently came back to work for Target and when they decided they were opening at midnight I gave serious thought to walking away. Ultimately though, since I received a bump in my position upon coming back, and working Black Friday was part of that discussion, I decided I'll just comply. Still, I think it's a load of BS for many employees who, if they had to travel for Thanksgiving may now be completely deprived of any Thanksgiving with family out of town.
At the end of the day its not really going to matter though because they're not generating increased sales by opening earlier, all they're doing is shifting their sales to earlier in the day. I'm fairly certain that while stores will probably be able to stay busy till about 10am-12 pm, after that its going to be completely dead in those stores because everyone's going to go home and go to bed after lunch.
One thing I definitely agree with you about though is that the people making those policy decisions don't care. Its not like they're the ones who have to get up early, they can get their proletarians to do it for them.
greydemise
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i've worked 3 black fridays. the worst of it was when i worked at american eagle. all we offered at the time was 10% and people were going NUTS! racks being knocked over, fights, fun stuff.
i worked in a cosmetics store a few years back and that was easy as pie. we had no deals
i think it isn't too bad unless you're in a big box store, then, you deserve a medal for your service.
as for working on thanksgiving, i got time and a half, i didnt complain. my family doesnt eat until late anyway..i can see others being peeved by it
but when you work retail, you sign up for a nutty schedule half the time
i worked in a cosmetics store a few years back and that was easy as pie. we had no deals
i think it isn't too bad unless you're in a big box store, then, you deserve a medal for your service.
as for working on thanksgiving, i got time and a half, i didnt complain. my family doesnt eat until late anyway..i can see others being peeved by it
but when you work retail, you sign up for a nutty schedule half the time
Eyghon8
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Where I work we are opened every day of the year, even if there is no power you still have to work as long as there is daylight. On holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas I don't see the point. We hardly make enough in sales to justify the time and a half for the employees working let alone the power to run the place. I think on these days it would be best to be closed. As far as stores opening at Midnight for sales could do just as well in the morning, but everybody wants to be "First" and now it's gonna become the norm. In a year or two it will become "Black Monday-Friday" somewhere.
Demolition Man
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[quote name='62t']Kmart always opened on Thanksgiving.[/QUOTE]
And is just as dead as it is the rest of the year.
And is just as dead as it is the rest of the year.
In Massachusetts, it is illegal to open on Thanksgiving without a special permit, and they don't give them out easily. It doesn't really help since that just means the stores open at 1 AM instead of midnight. It also means the customers get pissed because all the national ads and flyers say that they will be opening at Midnight(or 10PM in Wal-Mart's case), and so they get there even earlier than they would and freak out when the stores don't open when they think the stores are supposed to. It's pretty crappy for the employees.
While I am not working retail, fast food sucks just as much as we are open Thankgiving............ and I get the joys of working a 6:30pm to 11pm shift to run the second half of the shift as I am the lowest supervisor on the pole. I really don't understand it as almost nobody comes in all night. It is such a joke.
200STM
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I'm working on thanksgiving at mall wart, I'm off at 10pm as the sales begin. I am going to be getting killzone3 and god of war 3 for my uncle and thats it. I plan to just get 2 new game releases that week anyways super mario land 3ds and saints row 3. I work 1pm-10pm thanksgiving and 9am- 6pm big event friday
[quote name='RedvsBlue']On the other hand, it wasn't until this year that nearly every retailer decided to open at midnight thus cutting into the employee's Thanksgiving evening plans. Prior to this most stores, while opening very early, still allowed employees to have their time with their families. The fact that some stores decided mere weeks (read: Target, who didn't even so much as hint to employees in the store of their midnight plans until the day of the public announcement) before Thanksgiving doesn't give much of an opportunity to many employees to make other arrangements (i.e., quit).
I just recently came back to work for Target and when they decided they were opening at midnight I gave serious thought to walking away. Ultimately though, since I received a bump in my position upon coming back, and working Black Friday was part of that discussion, I decided I'll just comply. Still, I think it's a load of BS for many employees who, if they had to travel for Thanksgiving may now be completely deprived of any Thanksgiving with family out of town.
At the end of the day its not really going to matter though because they're not generating increased sales by opening earlier, all they're doing is shifting their sales to earlier in the day. I'm fairly certain that while stores will probably be able to stay busy till about 10am-12 pm, after that its going to be completely dead in those stores because everyone's going to go home and go to bed after lunch.
One thing I definitely agree with you about though is that the people making those policy decisions don't care. Its not like they're the ones who have to get up early, they can get their proletarians to do it for them.[/QUOTE]
But it's retail. Retail is notorious for ridiculous and weird and "unfair" hours. These are things we sign up for when we take jobs at retail.
My partner is a supervisor at Starbucks. He closed this evening, came home around 9:45pm. He has to open tomorrow at 5:30am. He rolls his eyes, but he is very well aware of his choice to work there.
It sure does suck, but again.. it's retail. It's the horrible nature of the business.
I just recently came back to work for Target and when they decided they were opening at midnight I gave serious thought to walking away. Ultimately though, since I received a bump in my position upon coming back, and working Black Friday was part of that discussion, I decided I'll just comply. Still, I think it's a load of BS for many employees who, if they had to travel for Thanksgiving may now be completely deprived of any Thanksgiving with family out of town.
At the end of the day its not really going to matter though because they're not generating increased sales by opening earlier, all they're doing is shifting their sales to earlier in the day. I'm fairly certain that while stores will probably be able to stay busy till about 10am-12 pm, after that its going to be completely dead in those stores because everyone's going to go home and go to bed after lunch.
One thing I definitely agree with you about though is that the people making those policy decisions don't care. Its not like they're the ones who have to get up early, they can get their proletarians to do it for them.[/QUOTE]
But it's retail. Retail is notorious for ridiculous and weird and "unfair" hours. These are things we sign up for when we take jobs at retail.
My partner is a supervisor at Starbucks. He closed this evening, came home around 9:45pm. He has to open tomorrow at 5:30am. He rolls his eyes, but he is very well aware of his choice to work there.
It sure does suck, but again.. it's retail. It's the horrible nature of the business.
I think stores closing on holidays is going to be a thing of the past soon. Not that long ago basically every store was closed on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now it seems like more and more stores are opening on Easter and Thanksgiving (all day, not just at 10:00 p.m. or later). Off the top of my head I know that Sears, KMart, Dollar Tree, Old Navy and Walmart were all open either this past Easter and Thanksgiving or both. I give it less than 10 years before stores start opening on Christmas too.
I'm sure there will be managers there too.
It's a job, work it. Sorry to be blunt, but in retail, you WILL deal with: long hours, tired feet, rude customers, and bad schedules. Don't like it, free it up for some of those hundreds of thousands of unemployed people. Or complain constructively and try to change things from the inside (of course, odds are the only change would be you being forcibly suggested to find another job.)
We are living more and more in a 24-hour, instant gratification society. Stores being open on holidays are part of that. I know I'll probably be out on Thanksgiving day, and possibly Christmas day.
I'm pretty sure my WalMart is open 24x7x365. I had to run there at 9 PM on Christmas Eve a couple years ago, and I was very glad they were open.
I do think that there should be some minimum number of hours between "end of shift" and "beginning of next shift". That, and some way of filtering out a-hole customers so they can't even get in the store.
In the mid-90's I used to run a convenience store. Up at 330 AM, opening the store at 5, there till at least 6 PM, home at 7 or 730; eat dinner, go to bed, do it again. And at least twice a month I had to do a double because of a noshow (there till 11 PM).
If it was fun and perfect and didn't have any problems and was only during the times we wanted it to be, it would be called Play, not Work.
I work in a call center for a huge company (actually I'm in support now, but I was in the call center for about ten years). We are open 24x7x365, so someone is there at 4 AM on Christmas Day. Obviously we staff based on projected volume, so not everyone is there, but someone is.
Of course a good manager will try to satisfy both his employees needs and the business needs - asking for volunteers, then scheduling in some fair method - seniority, last holiday worked, etc.
It's a job, work it. Sorry to be blunt, but in retail, you WILL deal with: long hours, tired feet, rude customers, and bad schedules. Don't like it, free it up for some of those hundreds of thousands of unemployed people. Or complain constructively and try to change things from the inside (of course, odds are the only change would be you being forcibly suggested to find another job.)
We are living more and more in a 24-hour, instant gratification society. Stores being open on holidays are part of that. I know I'll probably be out on Thanksgiving day, and possibly Christmas day.
I'm pretty sure my WalMart is open 24x7x365. I had to run there at 9 PM on Christmas Eve a couple years ago, and I was very glad they were open.
I do think that there should be some minimum number of hours between "end of shift" and "beginning of next shift". That, and some way of filtering out a-hole customers so they can't even get in the store.
In the mid-90's I used to run a convenience store. Up at 330 AM, opening the store at 5, there till at least 6 PM, home at 7 or 730; eat dinner, go to bed, do it again. And at least twice a month I had to do a double because of a noshow (there till 11 PM).
If it was fun and perfect and didn't have any problems and was only during the times we wanted it to be, it would be called Play, not Work.
I work in a call center for a huge company (actually I'm in support now, but I was in the call center for about ten years). We are open 24x7x365, so someone is there at 4 AM on Christmas Day. Obviously we staff based on projected volume, so not everyone is there, but someone is.
Of course a good manager will try to satisfy both his employees needs and the business needs - asking for volunteers, then scheduling in some fair method - seniority, last holiday worked, etc.
The reason more and more places are open Holidays is simple- becuase the company's making money. We used to be closed Thanksgiving. Then a couple years ago, they tried a 6-9 opening... just a lil' 3 hours mini day, to see what people would do.
We made more money in those 3 hours than we did than the 4 days coming up to it. Obviously, we open on Thanksgiving now.
I don't mind it so much- like lilboo said, it's part of the retail racket. These are the same people who put motion detectors in our breakroom soda machine, becuase they don't want to pay for the light to be on if no one's in there. I expect them to try and make easy money when they can.
What does irk me is the people who come in, buy $100 worth of crap, then say how 'sorry' they are that we have to work. See your $100 pile of crap? THAT'S why I'm working. If you really care, don't bloody shop on Thanksgiving- they'll cull the hours back if it's not turning a profit.
(I'm actually not working this year... my 'promotion' from a few months ago involves alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays off. Thanksgiving happened to fall on a Thursday week. Sheer dumb luck.)
We made more money in those 3 hours than we did than the 4 days coming up to it. Obviously, we open on Thanksgiving now.
I don't mind it so much- like lilboo said, it's part of the retail racket. These are the same people who put motion detectors in our breakroom soda machine, becuase they don't want to pay for the light to be on if no one's in there. I expect them to try and make easy money when they can.
What does irk me is the people who come in, buy $100 worth of crap, then say how 'sorry' they are that we have to work. See your $100 pile of crap? THAT'S why I'm working. If you really care, don't bloody shop on Thanksgiving- they'll cull the hours back if it's not turning a profit.
(I'm actually not working this year... my 'promotion' from a few months ago involves alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays off. Thanksgiving happened to fall on a Thursday week. Sheer dumb luck.)
eldergamer
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Well I'm working Thanksgiving this year and I've worked Thanksgiving most years in the past.
Then again I work second shift in a hospital so it's not like I have much choice. I don't mind really, you get time and a half and by the time I go in to work at 3 we've usually managed to have ourfamily meal at home.
As for the retail employees. So? That's part of your job. If you want the day off, trade with another employee or refuse to work that day. Those are your options. No one's shackling them to cash registers and forcing them to work.
Then again I work second shift in a hospital so it's not like I have much choice. I don't mind really, you get time and a half and by the time I go in to work at 3 we've usually managed to have ourfamily meal at home.
As for the retail employees. So? That's part of your job. If you want the day off, trade with another employee or refuse to work that day. Those are your options. No one's shackling them to cash registers and forcing them to work.
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[quote name='lilboo']These things come with the job, too. Same thing, really.[/QUOTE]
Yup. I'm in the Marines and even though I'm currently just going to school aboard what is essentially a training base, some poor bastard will be on duty at each different barracks and at each command/unit on base. It's the nature of the beast.
Yup. I'm in the Marines and even though I'm currently just going to school aboard what is essentially a training base, some poor bastard will be on duty at each different barracks and at each command/unit on base. It's the nature of the beast.
metaphysicalstyles
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When I worked at Blockbuster years ago, I used to have to work on Christmas... and they still kept the store open until midnight. That was the last retail gig I had... and I hated it so much that I decided to enroll back in college so I could hopefully find a job as far from retail as possible. It worked. Post-secondary education for the win. Not only do I get all holidays off, they typically give us the preceding days off for travel.
Soodmeg
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I am really sick of these types of discussions.
To be very blunt. If you are college age and younger...shut the
up and go to work, you will have 6 thousand more holidays to spend with whoever you want. Stop being god damn lazy...real life isnt the Disney channel. If you are an adult...well...you have had a lifetime to get a position that doesnt require working on the holidays...why havent you? There is always time to go back to school and get a different job but for now this is what you have to do so deal.
I work in Television, Film and Broadcast Production and I have to work EVERY single holiday for about 15 hours a day because of course my career provides entertainment for others who are off work.
The other reason why I really loathe this discussion and the people who bring it up every year is this. Retail is considered one of the lowest jobs in the hierarchy of jobs in America....yet you are the first people to complain about this every year. You know some cops also have to work on holidays right...and instead of selling crap they have to arrest a drunk uncle...or firefighter who have to respond to people who burn their houses down trying to deep fry turkeys. Not to mention, EMS works, doctors, nurses, who are trying to keep some kid alive after getting hit by a holiday drunk etc etc.
What I am trying to say is that there are a thousand more people who have vastly more important jobs that also have to miss the holidays, quit your bitching.
(now of course if you dad is dying of cancer or something then screw work spend as much time with your family as possible.)
To be very blunt. If you are college age and younger...shut the
up and go to work, you will have 6 thousand more holidays to spend with whoever you want. Stop being god damn lazy...real life isnt the Disney channel. If you are an adult...well...you have had a lifetime to get a position that doesnt require working on the holidays...why havent you? There is always time to go back to school and get a different job but for now this is what you have to do so deal.I work in Television, Film and Broadcast Production and I have to work EVERY single holiday for about 15 hours a day because of course my career provides entertainment for others who are off work.
The other reason why I really loathe this discussion and the people who bring it up every year is this. Retail is considered one of the lowest jobs in the hierarchy of jobs in America....yet you are the first people to complain about this every year. You know some cops also have to work on holidays right...and instead of selling crap they have to arrest a drunk uncle...or firefighter who have to respond to people who burn their houses down trying to deep fry turkeys. Not to mention, EMS works, doctors, nurses, who are trying to keep some kid alive after getting hit by a holiday drunk etc etc.
What I am trying to say is that there are a thousand more people who have vastly more important jobs that also have to miss the holidays, quit your bitching.
(now of course if you dad is dying of cancer or something then screw work spend as much time with your family as possible.)
OnyxPrimal
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^^^^ End of thread.
Dead of Knight
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Excellent post by Soodmeg, 10/10.
Nasum also said it a bit more succinctly earlier in the thread.
Nasum also said it a bit more succinctly earlier in the thread.
basilofbkrst
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[quote name='Soodmeg']I am really sick of these types of discussions.
To be very blunt. If you are college age and younger...shut the up and go to work, you will have 6 thousand more holidays to spend with whoever you want. Stop being god damn lazy...real life isnt the Disney channel. If you are an adult...well...you have had a lifetime to get a position that doesnt require working on the holidays...why havent you? There is always time to go back to school and get a different job but for now this is what you have to do so deal.
I work in Television, Film and Broadcast Production and I have to work EVERY single holiday for about 15 hours a day because of course my career provides entertainment for others who are off work.
The other reason why I really loathe this discussion and the people who bring it up every year is this. Retail is considered one of the lowest jobs in the hierarchy of jobs in America....yet you are the first people to complain about this every year. You know some cops also have to work on holidays right...and instead of selling crap they have to arrest a drunk uncle...or firefighter who have to respond to people who burn their houses down trying to deep fry turkeys. Not to mention, EMS works, doctors, nurses, who are trying to keep some kid alive after getting hit by a holiday drunk etc etc.
What I am trying to say is that there are a thousand more people who have vastly more important jobs that also have to miss the holidays, quit your bitching.
(now of course if you dad is dying of cancer or something then screw work spend as much time with your family as possible.)[/QUOTE]
To be very blunt. If you are college age and younger...shut the
up and go to work, you will have 6 thousand more holidays to spend with whoever you want. Stop being god damn lazy...real life isnt the Disney channel. If you are an adult...well...you have had a lifetime to get a position that doesnt require working on the holidays...why havent you? There is always time to go back to school and get a different job but for now this is what you have to do so deal.I work in Television, Film and Broadcast Production and I have to work EVERY single holiday for about 15 hours a day because of course my career provides entertainment for others who are off work.
The other reason why I really loathe this discussion and the people who bring it up every year is this. Retail is considered one of the lowest jobs in the hierarchy of jobs in America....yet you are the first people to complain about this every year. You know some cops also have to work on holidays right...and instead of selling crap they have to arrest a drunk uncle...or firefighter who have to respond to people who burn their houses down trying to deep fry turkeys. Not to mention, EMS works, doctors, nurses, who are trying to keep some kid alive after getting hit by a holiday drunk etc etc.
What I am trying to say is that there are a thousand more people who have vastly more important jobs that also have to miss the holidays, quit your bitching.
(now of course if you dad is dying of cancer or something then screw work spend as much time with your family as possible.)[/QUOTE]
bkjohns1
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[quote name='Soodmeg']
You know some cops also have to work on holidays right...and instead of selling crap they have to arrest a drunk uncle...or firefighter who have to respond to people who burn their houses down trying to deep fry turkeys. Not to mention, EMS works, doctors, nurses, who are trying to keep some kid alive after getting hit by a holiday drunk etc etc.
[/QUOTE]
I give thanks to those that perform these type of emergency response jobs when they would rather be home with their own family
or out black Friday shopping to annoy those who have to work retail :lol:.
You know some cops also have to work on holidays right...and instead of selling crap they have to arrest a drunk uncle...or firefighter who have to respond to people who burn their houses down trying to deep fry turkeys. Not to mention, EMS works, doctors, nurses, who are trying to keep some kid alive after getting hit by a holiday drunk etc etc.
[/QUOTE]
I give thanks to those that perform these type of emergency response jobs when they would rather be home with their own family
or out black Friday shopping to annoy those who have to work retail :lol:.
[quote name='Clak']Seeing any sort of correlation here?[/QUOTE]
What you're implying is going to go over most CAG's heads.
Obviously, any retail grunts that complain about working holidays are just little bitches that don't deserve equitable work conditions while making poverty-level wages because cops(on good union livable wages), EMT's(a vastly more important job than lining the pockets of corporate thieves and should be paid more just because...although, EMT deserve to make more money eventhough they mostly do transport duty), and soldiers(that also have their cost of living subsidised by taxes as well as other bonuses and stipends) work on holidays too!
What you're implying is going to go over most CAG's heads.
Obviously, any retail grunts that complain about working holidays are just little bitches that don't deserve equitable work conditions while making poverty-level wages because cops(on good union livable wages), EMT's(a vastly more important job than lining the pockets of corporate thieves and should be paid more just because...although, EMT deserve to make more money eventhough they mostly do transport duty), and soldiers(that also have their cost of living subsidised by taxes as well as other bonuses and stipends) work on holidays too!
Loonknight
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Considering we don't have "Black Friday" sales and open normal hours it doesn't affect my store, thankfully. What did change was once it was sold to a more corporate-minded company we started to work more holidays, New Year's Day for one, and they calculated they still make some money regardless of how poor our traffic was company-wide they made $1 million for that day.
As for how I feel about it, well again as many have stated it is a retail job and it is what you signed up for. Much like my teacher friends who have to get up early every day if they start complaining about it I tell them you chose to wake up early every day when you started the gig.
As for how I feel about it, well again as many have stated it is a retail job and it is what you signed up for. Much like my teacher friends who have to get up early every day if they start complaining about it I tell them you chose to wake up early every day when you started the gig.
[quote name='dohdough']What you're implying is going to go over most CAG's heads.
Obviously, any retail grunts that complain about working holidays are just little bitches that don't deserve equitable work conditions while making poverty-level wages because cops(on good union livable wages), EMT's(a vastly more important job than lining the pockets of corporate thieves and should be paid more just because...although, EMT deserve to make more money eventhough they mostly do transport duty), and soldiers(that also have their cost of living subsidised by taxes as well as other bonuses and stipends) work on holidays too![/QUOTE]
You forgot the part about how if you're working retail and don't like working holidays you should just get a new job (thus marginalizing how difficult the job market is and overestimating how fluidly a new job can be obtained at will). But at the end of the day all the retail workers are just whiny brats and/or losers seemingly anyway.
Obviously, any retail grunts that complain about working holidays are just little bitches that don't deserve equitable work conditions while making poverty-level wages because cops(on good union livable wages), EMT's(a vastly more important job than lining the pockets of corporate thieves and should be paid more just because...although, EMT deserve to make more money eventhough they mostly do transport duty), and soldiers(that also have their cost of living subsidised by taxes as well as other bonuses and stipends) work on holidays too![/QUOTE]
You forgot the part about how if you're working retail and don't like working holidays you should just get a new job (thus marginalizing how difficult the job market is and overestimating how fluidly a new job can be obtained at will). But at the end of the day all the retail workers are just whiny brats and/or losers seemingly anyway.
Working holidays at retail is a rite of passage into adulthood. I did it four years as a stock clerk being lowest on the totem pole of a crew that never turned over, then when I was promoted to management I was the young guy with no kids, so I did it another four years at the next level. It was my inspiration to go to and finish college to get away from it. So yeah sucks to be in that spot but.... Get over it and change it if you want to.
bread's done