Can Walmart make my son work Christmas Eve?

[ckay87]

uhhhh it isn't just the "crappy" jobs that work Christmas eve and Christmas. and I'm not even counting the expected human service jobs(police, fire, nursing, doctors, etc) My DH is a senior engineer and he will be working Christmas eve and Christmas. This is when a lot of industry does shut downs for big maintenance or installation jobs. So even with an education and a non"crappy" job you can still find yourself working holidays.

Oh and he also worked from 530 AM until 7:30 PM Thanksgiving day.

Oh I just knew I'd offend someone by saying that. We're talking about teenagers working at Walmart. I can't consider all the possible professions who may have to work Christmas eve. To those individuals the pay or satisfaction may be worth it. Was just saying if you choose job A, expect these hours. In THIS case we're talking about a minimum wage Walmart job. Kid doesn't like it? Lesson learned. Go educate yourself so you increase the chance of getting the profession of your CHOICE whatever that may be. And I'm not being snobby about it...my own son, as an example, absolutely needs motivation like that to aspire to anything whatsoever!

ETA- Did I ever say ONLY people with crappy jobs work Christmas eve? Ever? I was addressing the original-dang-post. This stuff drives me nuts, trying to keep everyone happy.

 

[Angelhalo]

I'm one of the few who thinks he should just call off. Of course I am a religious person so God means more to me than any job on Earth, especially a teenager's part time job.

I understand about teaching about work ethic, but Christmas Eve working at Walmart is not the time I would choose to teach that lesson. Of course this is all assuming he doesn't want to work on Christmas Eve. If he DOES want to work then I would just drop him off and continue with the family plans for the evening.

I just believe there is a time and place for everything....yes kids need to be taught about work ethic, but I wouldn't choose Christmas Eve as my time to demand my child go to work in order to learn a lesson, unless the lesson is that some crappy part time job is more important than my family's religious values.

 

[Conkozan]

Is this your son with the job coach that was so rotten to him?

If so and this job is working out for both the employer and your son (other than working holidays) why would you rock the boat? Pick a different service.

 

[Imzadi]

May be true, but if he had requested before the schedule was made, and had used the word "CHURCH", I'm sure they would have tried to work something out. I don't think businesses really like messing with employees religious obligations, mostly for legal purposes.

I'm saying that the 150+ other Christian co-workers probably also sited the same reason. It's not like Christmas eve is more special to the OP's son than it is to the other Christian Walmart employees. If they have seniority, they'd get priority to attend church when they request it.[/I

I worked retail (sears, macys and walmart) and when I worked the first thing they told us to not even think about asking for the last 5 days before Christmas off. It would have taken an act of god to get a day off.

Going to church isn't an act of God - just an act FOR God. But, I guess that doesn't count.

Probably not. For example, I work at Target, I cannot ask for Sundays off. Well, I can ask for "Sunday June 2" off, but I can't ask that I never work Sundays. I have to be "available" on Sundays.

You should move to Bergen County, NJ. They recently had a vote to get rid of the Sunday Blue Laws. Nope, those wackos want their Sundays off. Always have. Only a few types of stores can open in Bergen on Sundays.

 

[allison443]

Is this your son with the job coach that was so rotten to him?

If so and this job is working out for both the employer and your son (other than working holidays) why would you rock the boat? Pick a different service.

I think this is a different son...I believe OP has an older son who graduated high school (the one with the job coach) and the son in this thread is still a minor.

 

[jmpurdy]

Disney is open Christmas Day. Doesn't matter what the 'job' is. This could be a perfect opportunity to instill a great work ethic into this child. We still don't know if we'll see our adult son for our WDW vacation in 3 weeks. He is interviewing for jobs and if he gets a job, we don't see him. He lives 3000 miles away and his job will take precedence. My vote is to let him work and be supportive 100%, not be angry and then he'll feel guilty and angry too.

 

[Bren's Mom]

As a former 911 dispatcher and the wife of a paramedic I have to point out that somebody has to work the holidays!

If your son has no children of his own, seems more appropriate for him to work Christmas Eve than his coworker with 3 kids or the single dad whose ONLY chance to see his own children is on Christmas Eve.

When I was single, I worked every holiday. And figured out how and when to attend church around my work schedule. Sometimes I missed Mass on Christmas Eve or Day, but I went the next day or the day before and I'm sure that was satisfactory in God's eyes.

Just another perspective.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I'm one of the few who thinks he should just call off. Of course I am a religious person so God means more to me than any job on Earth, especially a teenager's part time job.

I understand about teaching about work ethic, but Christmas Eve working at Walmart is not the time I would choose to teach that lesson. Of course this is all assuming he doesn't want to work on Christmas Eve. If he DOES want to work then I would just drop him off and continue with the family plans for the evening.

I just believe there is a time and place for everything....yes kids need to be taught about work ethic, but I wouldn't choose Christmas Eve as my time to demand my child go to work in order to learn a lesson, unless the lesson is that some crappy part time job is more important than my family's religious values.

To me it is not about being religious (unless that TRULY is the only service and unless the teen always puts all church service before everything else--including, friends, sports, etc). I think it is about it being unethical to leave all the other people who are working shorthanded because you did not show up essentially because you did not want to.
Also, I truly have never seen a church say that Christmas EVE is a holy day and work cannot happen then. If you know of one and can show me a link I would appreciate it.

 

[novajeanjellybean]

Yes they can. It's the nature of the business. I work in a call center and wait tables as a second job. I will be working Christmas Eve, NYE, and NY. Im happy the restaurant closes early on Christmas Eve this year. Last year I worked the same days but until 10 or 11 pm. We just work traditions around it. Sucks but I'm happy to have a job.

 

[Acklander]

You know, if NO ONE shopped, dined out, went to the movies on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, this wouldn't be a problem. Stores and restaurants would close, or work with a thin skeleton crew, because no one would want to be there.

This doesn't make sense. It would be like saying no one should go to Disney during Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, and Easter so that the workers can have a day off. The parks are busy during that time BECAUSE everyone who works a traditional job/goes to school has a day off.
Same thing with retail/restaurants etc... The reason why they're busy then is people aren't at work or school, they've got the last minute shopping to do and don't necessiary have time to cook and shop, and they've met up with family from out of town, have parties going on and so on.
I grew up in the restaurant business - both my parents worked every holiday and from age of about 12 or 13 all us kids were expected to pitch in during the holidays as well. We built our own traditions around the weird hours that we worked that are just as dear and special as those who worked traditional jobs. Instead of hoping and expecting the world to work around us, we worked the holidays around the family business. We never considered it a problem.

 

[mdsoccermom]

I once took a stand about getting off for Christmas Eve. My point was, if all the Jewish folks can get special permission to leave work early to get home before sundown (VERY common in NYC) they need to extend the same courtesy to me for my holiday, which also runs from sundown to sundown, hence Saturday evening services count for Sunday. They tried to pull the whole volume issue with me and I just stood my ground claiming it's not my problem that other people of my Faith don't observe their holiday or insist on it, I do and that's all that matters. If they are ok with letting others off for their holiday they need to do the same for me, the managers didn't dare push it any further than that.

Keep in mind there is always the possibility that a job can be terminated over this sort of thing, legally or not, so your son needs to be sure he can walk the walk if he's willing to talk the talk. In my case I just wasn't going to back down. Equal rights for everyone includes me and no-one was, or is, ever going to tell me different I'd fight for someone else so I'm definitely going to fight for myself too

When you made that stand, did you agree to make up that time anywhere? Because when observant Jews make arrangements to leave work early on Fridays to be home in time for Shabbat (and no, it's not ALL those Jewish folks), they generally have worked it into their schedule to make up that time. They come in early, or stay late during the week. They aren't just leaving early each Friday. And for their other religious holidays, they usually have to use their leave to take it. What did you do?

 

[eliza61]

I'm one of the few who thinks he should just call off. Of course I am a religious person so God means more to me than any job on Earth, especially a teenager's part time job.

I understand about teaching about work ethic, but Christmas Eve working at Walmart is not the time I would choose to teach that lesson. Of course this is all assuming he doesn't want to work on Christmas Eve. If he DOES want to work then I would just drop him off and continue with the family plans for the evening.

I just believe there is a time and place for everything....yes kids need to be taught about work ethic, but I wouldn't choose Christmas Eve as my time to demand my child go to work in order to learn a lesson, unless the lesson is that some crappy part time job is more important than my family's religious values.

Yes, but the time and place for that was BEFORE you accepted the job IMO. When you work retail some things are pretty much given.
1) you will need to work on weekends and nights.
2) you will need to work on major holidays.

So if a religious holiday is that important to you and the time to think about that is before you accept a position that may require you to work on that day.

 

[Angelhalo]

To me it is not about being religious (unless that TRULY is the only service and unless the teen always puts all church service before everything else--including, friends, sports, etc). I think it is about it being unethical to leave all the other people who are working shorthanded because you did not show up essentially because you did not want to.
Also, I truly have never seen a church say that Christmas EVE is a holy day and work cannot happen then. If you know of one and can show me a link I would appreciate it.

It's not about what the church says are holy days. To me it is about what I believe. I believe that the Christmas Eve service is important. Especially if you are an integral part of it in any way. My God comes before any of the other people working at Wal-Mart. I answer to God and not to them. I'm just sharing my opinion. It may be different than yours, and that's ok. Not gonna argue over it. It just is how it is for me.

 

[kirstenb1]

OP, I"m thinking your son has some kind of disability (I may have the wrong person) and has had a hard go of making it in the work force. If this is a job he wants to stay with, he really needs to work on Christmas Eve.

I worked at a department store throughout college, and everyone was scheduled Christmas Eve. Just the nature of the job. Maybe you could make lemonade out of lemons and make a new tradition. Have "church" at home after he gets off work. Have a nice family meal, and then just read the story of Jesus's birth, or watch a Christmas movie. Listen to Christmas carols. Light an advent wreath. Just celebrate the holidays amongst yourselves. Our church will have services on the 26th too---maybe you could go then?

I know it's stressful, but just try to celebrate in a different way. Your son sounds like he's trying hard to find his niche.

 

[bicker]

Actually, in my experience, many Jews in the retail sector trade-off Friday late-afternoons and evenings for Sundays.

 

[Angelhalo]

Yes, but the time and place for that was BEFORE you accepted the job IMO. When you work retail some things are pretty much given.
1) you will need to work on weekends and nights.
2) you will need to work on major holidays.

So if a religious holiday is that important to you and the time to think about that is before you accept a position that may require you to work on that day.

I worked in retail for many years and never once worked Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day. It's not impossible. It doesn't always mean you can't take the job. If the priorities are there, you can often make it work.

 

[Acklander]

I worked in retail for many years and never once worked Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day. It's not impossible. It doesn't always mean you can't take the job. If the priorities are there, you can often make it work.

Pretty much all retail jobs ask about your availability BEFORE you take the job (and I can't imagine Wal-mart wouldn't cover that before hiring) and if he had told them 2 months ago, when he was hired, this wouldn't be an issue now.

 

[bicker]

It's not about what the church says are holy days. To me it is about what I believe.

Okay, but I'm sure you acknowledge that the law (quoted by another poster, above) cannot go by that. That would give everyone the unequivocal right to unilaterally dictate their working conditions to their employers.

So, operationally, in the context of this thread, principles such as yours are most useful for determining whether to quit a job or not, if push comes to shove.

 

[tlmdisney]

The US is still 95% Christian.

Its actually only 76% Christian,which means that there are 76 million Non-Christians in the USA that is a significant number of people who would still like services.

 

[Becky2005]

Is Walmart closing at midnight and he will miss midnight mass?

Now THAT could be a problem with him being a minor. Around here there are time restrictions minors could work.

Otherwise...retail stinks for this sort of thing but that is how it is.