Businesses Being Open on Holidays

[jax677]

My husband does fireworks and I am the one who brings food to them. So not only do I go to the grocery store, I then go out to eat with my girls. I have no interest in watching fireworks anymore either. I guess the years and years of doing it with my kids has numbed me to the beauty. Don't tell my husband I just wrote that.

 

[Pin Wizard]

We stopped at a little local sporting goods store yesterday. As we were walking across the parking lot, I told DS that I saw a sign on the door and they might not be open since it was a holiday. Then on the side widow I saw the neon "Open" sign lit up. Ended up dropping a decent buck since DS needed new cletes for lacrosse. I told them I hoped they were at least closing early. I heard grunts in reply. I said...well, if you're open, I hope you have lots of sales. They liked that better!

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

I own a retail store in a tourist town - you can bet your bippy we're open lol! Yesterday, I was in two different restaurants - one for drinks after the 4th of July parade and another to watch fireworks over the sound. In between the two restaurants, I went to a friend's bbq.

I always wonder why people in service industries wonder why they have to work on holidays - it's the way it is. It drives me nuts when employees can't understand why they can't be off on Black Friday or Christmas Eve or Mother's Day. Service industries serve the public and their needs - the public needs to be served when they're off from work. They're not going to go out to eat or shop or any of those things while they are working. So, it stands to reason that our type of businesses (retail, restaurant, amusement, etc.) MUST be open when the general public is NOT working: holidays, weekends, etc.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Were you asked if you could work holidays when you applied?

I work in a place that...No, people couldn't live if nobody showed up to work the holiday...but every holiday all the people who agreed to work holidays when they signed on ***** and moan about having to work the holiday.

If you don't wish to work holidays, it might be a good idea to find a job that doesn't require that. It isn't rocket science.

 

[jenrose66]

I don't think anyone but essential personell, firemen, hospitals, etc..should be open. Holidays should be spent with family. I work in insurance and we are open 24/7. There is no need someone needs to call in a claim to me on a holdiay. We don't send people out there immediately, it can wait. Families are on the decline and it's because of the society we live in, it's always now, now, now, and everything has to always be available at all hours and it takes time away from loved ones. Remember when nothing was open on Sundays? I don't remember a time like that and that is sad.

I just took a claim (i'm at work now). An infant girl was killed in a car accident there was a collision with a car turning left into wal mart on July 4th at 10:30 at night.

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

I don't think anyone but essential personell, firemen, hospitals, etc..should be open. Holidays should be spent with family. I work in insurance and we are open 24/7. There is no need someone needs to call in a claim to me on a holdiay. We don't send people out there immediately, it can wait. Families are on the decline and it's because of the society we live in, it's always now, now, now, and everything has to always be available at all hours and it takes time away from loved ones. Remember when nothing was open on Sundays? I don't remember a time like that and that is sad.

I just took a claim (i'm at work now). An infant girl was killed in a car accident there was a collision with a car turning left into wal mart on July 4th at 10:30 at night.

That's a horrific tragedy. However, I do not for one second believe families are on the decline because restaurants, stores and call centers are open on holidays. Quite the contrary. I spent the entire day with friends and family yesterday. I am spending Thanksgiving with family in Disney World - should they close? Typically, on Christmas Day, we go to the movies (although this year we're going to the Caribbean). Should they close?

Many insurance companies, particularly health insurance, have time limits within which notification must be made. Sometimes, it can't wait. If I lose my credit card, I want to speak to someone NOW - not after the weekend and someone runs up a bill.

If I get in a car accident, I want the call made immediately to make notification of the accident. I would never let time go by where it could give the appearance that I didn't think it was important enough to call right away or where details may be blurred or forgotten.

I work 6 days a week...if everything was open M-F from 9-5 I wouldn't be able to eat, shop, go out, socialize, recreate, get business and financial needs done, nothing. That's just silly. Anyway - just my humble opinion.

 

[paintnolish]

Were you asked if you could work holidays when you applied?

I work in a place that...No, people couldn't live if nobody showed up to work the holiday...but every holiday all the people who agreed to work holidays when they signed on ***** and moan about having to work the holiday.

If you don't wish to work holidays, it might be a good idea to find a job that doesn't require that. It isn't rocket science.

So, what if it was rocket science...do you think I'd still work holidays?
Let me tell you the "holidays" I've worked (not all holidyas, but they are days where nobody wanted to work)...Monday lunches (I've made as little as $13), Black Friday, the day after Xmas, NY Eve, Mother's Day ( I have 2 kids), and Father's Day. I was lucky enough to be off on Easter, and we're closed on Xmas Day.

My mom and I have talked about how when she was little, those days (holidays) were to be spent with family. I am a full-time, almost 4.0 student, mom, and part-time server. Those holidays would be days where most people (myself included) would get to be with their families. I understand that there are still essential jobs needing to be done, like fighting fires and saving lives (these jobs are also compensated by higher pay rates for holidays). I hardly think Blockbuster being open on Christmas Day saved anyone's life.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

I know it sucks....I worked retail for a while but I was lucky enough to have Christmas Eve (and Black Friday - which I don't count) be the only holidays I ever worked. But, everyone knows what they're signing up for when they choose to work retail/service industry jobs.

 

[Feralpeg]

Do they need to be? I understand the need for gas stations and small grocery stores/drug stores being open for travel and emergencies, but couldn't we live without big stores like Kmart/Walmart (which are open on TGiving Day) and restaurants being open? Mainly, this could be a small vent on my part. I waitress at a nice restaurant which is open on the 4th! I couldn't request off since I just had a long vacation. Will anyone really be dining out on the 4th?

I dined out on the 4th. I usually dine out on all major holidays. I also went to the mall shopping with my daughter. We have a very small family. What family we do have lives very far away. Normally, it is just the two of us for most holidays. It gets pretty boring sitting around the house. We love having the stores, restaurants, movies, etc. open on holidays. I suppose if we had a large family it wouldn't matter as much.

OP, sorry you had to work on the holiday, but there are those of us who appreciate you being there.

 

[PghLybrt]

I don't think anyone but essential personell, firemen, hospitals, etc..should be open. Holidays should be spent with family. .

I can understand it and in a way agree with you. Many years ago on Christmas my mother was very ill. My dad, not knowing what to do with 2 young children, took us out to eat for our christmas meal. As i look back now it was kind of funny, we got the best service! I think that everyone thought we had just lost our Mom, not that she was simply home to sick to do anything. That was not the last christmas meal I have eaten out either.