Didn't this occur to anyone before he accepted a job there?
Did he ask for the day off and not get it?
Once my kids got jobs, normal Christmas Eve events changed around their work schedules.
Most malls close early Christmas Eve for the most part. Last year I worked Christmas Eve and the mall closed at either six or seven, but I was there until 10 I believe. I was livid to say the least.
I haven't read every thread here (just the first page). That said, no, they can't make him work. But they surely can fire him if he doesn't show up for a scheduled shift.
My bet is on the "similar threads" feature at the bottom of the page. It showed up after the conversion to the new software (I think) but I can't figure out what benefit the site actually gets from having it. I wish they could just turn it off.