Seasonal question

[trip]

Today I was wondering why people think it's horrible for grocery and retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving but think nothing of it for restaurants to be opened. All are staffed by workers who have families. What do you think?

 

[fla4fun]

Well, not everyone celebrates thanksgiving, and they may appreciate the opportunity to work. I worked in the hospitality industry for 25 years, and the only way you were off on a holiday was if it fell on your regular day off. So I worked every Monday holiday (we had three fixed, MLK, Memorial, Labor) and worked any July 4, Christmas, or New Year holiday that fell on my regular workday. Thursday was my regular day off, so Thanksgiving was my only guaranteed holiday.

People are aware that when they work in certain industries, there is a good chance they will have to work holidays. I often preferred the extra day of pay I got when I worked the holiday to having the holiday off. So I don’t see a lot of difference between restaurants, retail, hotels, theme parks, hospitals, etc. People may comment that all workers should have a specific holiday off until they are on vacation or need the local walk in clinic on that day.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Today I was wondering why people think it's horrible for grocery and retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving but think nothing of it for restaurants to be opened. All are staffed by workers who have families. What do you think?

I think they should all be closed. Or, at least, stagger shifts so EVERYONE has at least 3-4 consecutive hours off to enjoy family.

 

[mrodgers]

Funny as I just posted in a thread 2 minutes ago about going to a restaurant. I find it repulsive as I said.

 

[kymom99]

I think holidays are just days on a calendar. For years my husband worked every holiday. You learn to celebrate on an alternate day. And guess what. The meaning is the same.

 

[tvguy]

I think holidays are just days on a calendar. For years my husband worked every holiday. You learn to celebrate on an alternate day. And guess what. The meaning is the same.

My wife and I worked every holiday for 42 years. Ours was a business that is open 365/7/24. We are retired last year so this will be our second Thanksgiving off, however for our daughter it is a normal work day, so we will continue to shift Thanksgiving to the Saturday after.
Grocery stores here have always open for part of Thanksgiving, most closing at about 3 pm. I always appreciated the restaurants that were open, because our company always had Thanksgiving dinner brought in the the night shift, and some sort of breakfast for the morning shift.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm for any businesses to be closed who reasonably can.

Obviously emergency services need to be open, and some gas stations would be prudent, but I don't think retail stores need to be.

I do think sit-down restaurants should have the choice to put on a Thanksgiving dinner if they want to, since cooking is their business, but I'd like to see fast food places feel like they can close for the day.

 

[sam_gordon]

Today I was wondering why people think it's horrible for grocery and retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving but think nothing of it for restaurants to be opened. All are staffed by workers who have families. What do you think?

"Selective Empathy". People are "concerned" about those poor grocery and retail workers, but they're not worried about the people who allow them to put gas in the cars, or to man the check in desks at hotels, or to make sure they can watch their parades and sporting events, etc. ALL of those people are working because their business owners have decided that making money (and let's be honest, it's all about making money) is more important than giving people the day off. Sure, they'll claim "we're giving people what they want", and they're right. But if people REALLY cared, they wouldn't travel, watch TV or go out to eat. I'm not even getting into first responders/hospital workers.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think they should all be closed. Or, at least, stagger shifts so EVERYONE has at least 3-4 consecutive hours off to enjoy family.

Everyone DOES have at least 3-4 consecutive hours off. Unless they're working a 20+ hours shift (maybe first responders?), there's time to enjoy family. It just may not be a "typical" time. But maybe the family get together has to happen at 10 or 11 in the morning, or 8 or 9 at night.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Everyone DOES have at least 3-4 consecutive hours off. Unless they're working a 20+ hours shift (maybe first responders?), there's time to enjoy family. It just may not be a "typical" time. But maybe the family get together has to happen at 10 or 11 in the morning, or 8 or 9 at night.

Of course, I was referring to those businesses that have actual "closed" hours. I was meaning - don't schedule only lower seniority people for 8 hour shifts during the day. How about everyone, regardless of seniority, works a 4 hour shift that day?

I worked for years over major holidays, and I get that Christmas/Thanksgiving "dinner" may actually wind up being a brunch at 10 am, or dinner at 10 pm.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Well, not everyone celebrates thanksgiving, and they may appreciate the opportunity to work. I worked in the hospitality industry for 25 years, and the only way you were off on a holiday was if it fell on your regular day off. So I worked every Monday holiday (we had three fixed, MLK, Memorial, Labor) and worked any July 4, Christmas, or New Year holiday that fell on my regular workday. Thursday was my regular day off, so Thanksgiving was my only guaranteed holiday.

People are aware that when they work in certain industries, there is a good chance they will have to work holidays. I often preferred the extra day of pay I got when I worked the holiday to having the holiday off. So I don’t see a lot of difference between restaurants, retail, hotels, theme parks, hospitals, etc. People may comment that all workers should have a specific holiday off until they are on vacation or need the local walk in clinic on that day.

Which Americans don’t celebrate thanksgiving? Can’t think of anyone who doesn’t celebrate thanksgiving in America or Canada.

 

[disneychrista]

I am okay with stores, restaurants, etc being open on holidays. They are not unique to other places that have traditionally be open. A lot of places are open and those employees all know that there is a chance they will have to work on holidays. A lot of places first ask for volunteers . Plus it is not uncommon for employees to not get paid for being off on holiday's. So yes they have to work on the holiday but at least they can put food on the table the following day.

 

[Disneylover99]

I don’t think it’s horrible for grocery stores or retail to be opened on Thanksgiving.

 

[fla4fun]

Which Americans don’t celebrate thanksgiving? Can’t think of anyone who doesn’t celebrate thanksgiving in America or Canada.

There are some people who associate thanksgiving, and giving thanks, with religious ideas they do not believe in, even though the holiday has become more secular over the years. There are also people in the Unites States from other cultures where they are not accustomed to celebrating thanksgiving. Many of the holidays that we celebrate without thinking twice about it simply aren’t celebrated on a global level. I also know many people who are US citizens, who simply don’t care to celebrate, for whatever reason. Some of them have bad memories from the past that they prefer not to relive. Some don’t have close family or friends, and don’t want to celebrate with strangers. Some feel they have nothing to be thankful for. I feel those are all valid reasons as well.

There are many reasons people chose to celebrate a holiday, or not, and each one is as individual as the person making it. I would say probably 10-15% of the employees I worked with didn’t celebrate thanksgiving and some of them would actively seek out people to swap shifts with who did want to be off (which some departments allowed so long as it didn’t generate overtime). Our company operated every day of the year, and I don’t recall hearing anyone complaining about working a holiday.

Perhaps people feel differently where you are, and that’s okay too.

 

[disneychrista]

Which Americans don’t celebrate thanksgiving? Can’t think of anyone who doesn’t celebrate thanksgiving in America or Canada.

My old boss isn't from the US or Canada so he didn't celebrate Thanksgiving. There are plenty of people from other cultures living in the US.

 

[disykat]

I don't get the angst. My dad usually worked holidays. One of my sons works holidays too. It's just part of certain jobs. Most jobs I've worked that worked holidays paid extra on holidays and there were always people who were celebrating at a different time that wanted the extra pay.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Working holidays sucks but it's a part of certain jobs. When I worked retail, my store was closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas but was open on Easter until 4 pm. I worked on Easter and I didn't really care since I don't celebrate the holiday. My best friend is Muslim and she LOVED working Christmas back when she was still working at AMC since she got bonus holiday pay.

My old boss isn't from the US or Canada so he didn't celebrate Thanksgiving. There are plenty of people from other cultures living in the US.

I was just about to say this. Many of my neighbors are immigrants and do not celebrate Thanksgiving.

 

[CdnCarrie]

My old boss isn't from the US or Canada so he didn't celebrate Thanksgiving. There are plenty of people from other cultures living in the US.

But once you move here wouldn’t you celebrate it? It’s not a religious holiday.
Up here it’s just a long weekend with a family dinner. Nothing to “celebrate “.

If I moved to India I would set off fireworks and exchange sweets on Diwali.
And if in Uk have a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night.

Isn’t thanksgiving for all Americans? Which was kind of the whole point of my ancestors on the Mayflower?

 

[adkkev]

I don’t think it’s horrible for grocery stores or retail to be opened on Thanksgiving.

What about other businesses? Or all businesses in general? What makes them so special?

 

[BrianL]

I don't so much have an issue with stores being open as it was mentioned many things already were. I think the problem stems from the way the stores have competed to make it seem like they are the MUST VISIT destination to get that thing that you absolutely need for Christmas, opening at 6 AM, no 5 AM, no 4 AM, no we're not closing! They whip everyone up into a franzy then act all proud about how convenient it is that they are open. They've really backed off on that lately though, with the "Black Friday" deals now just ramping up slowly, which I think is better.