AIBU to think that the shops should stay closed on Boxing Day and Christmas Day...

[PeaceofCakeAndGoodWineToAllMN]

...so that the staff can have 2 days off? I don't work in retail, my sister and friends do. Surely we can manage for 2 days without shopping so that they can have a rest? I know that this is part of their job, seems rather scrooge like to me though.

In the old days Christmas was a one day holiday why do we need two days holiday now?

Because it's 2011 and the shops are not closed on Sundays now?

YANBU

I work in retail but luckily I work with a lovely bunch of ladies, some of whom don't have children and would prefer New Year's off so we work it amongst us that those with children get christmas off and those young, free and single who would rather have the day in bed on New Year's day get that day off...

However, I know that working in retail is vile at this time of year. Retail bosses are amongst the meanest out there, unfortunately, and all they give a shit about is their profit margins. The Scrooge spirit is alive and well in retail. If the big stores opted to close on Boxing Day, there would still be people champing at the bit to buy last season's shit on the 27th. They aren't all going to magically disappear just because the sales start a day later.

I do feel sorry for people who feel the need to spend time on Boxing Day scavenging through mass-produced tat rather than spending it with their family and friends. It's a bit sad and pathetic.

Don't really understand why people are bleating about people not having time to do shopping if shops only open at "working hours". Closing on Boxing Day isn't the same as not trading on sundays/evenings for the rest of the year. It's not like your whole life would be thrown into turmoil because shops would be shut on two days which you have another 363 days advance warning about.

The scrooge spirit has been alive and well in hospitality long before Sunday opening or Boxing day opening, along with minimum wage for working over christmas and boxing day with a TOIL day instead of any monetry gain - as there is no law to pay double time on B/H just up to the employer.

If both industries stood up to there employer and said actually no we don't want to do this anymore and did it all together - they might find their employer listened, it wouldn't be as if they where asking for more money in wages.

"Nowadays it seems the nation panics if a shop closes for 20 minutes"

Exactly that.

People seen to think that shops should be there at their (the customer's) convenience rather than they need to plan their time around shop opening times. My aunty lives in Italy and all of the shops in her village will be close until wednesday of this week. People just cope better there. We are a country of spoilt bastards who expect the world to revolve around us rather than us putting ourselves out ever. Charlie Brooker wrote a really good column about it a few years ago, will try and find it.

I must also say that the company I work for are pretty nice to staff working Boxing Day; double time and a day off in lieu AND a £25 gift card. Not earth-shatteringly generous but nice nonetheless when other companies give out sweet FA.

OP - YANBU.

Boxing Day's not a holiday here so staff back at work as usual today, poor things.

My DP owns his own retail business and he and his staff don't have a day off from 1st-24th December. He then closes early on Christmas eve, and doesn't open again until the first working day of January. He probably misses out on lots of profits in that week but money isn't everything and he feels his staff deserve time off for their hard work. I wonder if the owners of these big businesses would still choose to open so much over Christmas if they had to go in themselves each day and miss their families.

It is completely different for other careers mentioned (police officers, nurses, doctors etc) because they are needed, nobody needs to buy a new dress or tv on boxing day.

The tosser manager of the department store that I work in (but I work for a concession so different rules for us) can opt to close early on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Day if he so chooses. He can opt to shut the store at 4 rather than 6 and the shopping centre that the store is in shuts at 4 (the department store has it's own entrance from the car park) but no. He makes every one of his staff stay until 6, even though because the centre shut two hours earlier, the store is dead. He doesn't stay though. The fat, pampered twat swans off to fill his face with suckling pig and to throw stones at orphans (probably)

We concession staff can leave at 4, and do. The poor staff of his have to stay. I hope he learns a very hard lesson via a visit from three ghosts, the miserly old sod. Making christmas fabulous? Yes, for your shareholders. Not for your staff.

It seems that we have become a nation that demands instant gratification - everything available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Whilst I appreciate the convenience of being able to get milk at ten o'clock at night I think it's quite sad that we have become so dependent on it. Nearly all of us now have fridges, freezers, with a bit of planning there's no real need to go out for groceries at 2200. We do it because we can.

And the sad thing is that attitude is extending - people now want their banks, GP surgeries, pharmacies, pubs, shops and cafes open for longer and longer. A person's right to utilise facilities and services seems to override a person's right to enjoy a better work/life balance.

We have friends in service industry, London restaurant business, they actually wanted to work, yesterday and today for double pay and about £180 in tips for six hours work, and place where they work was fully booked, so there you go.

I'm in a different European country for Christmas. Shops and ski slopes closed mid afternoon on Christmas Eve. Massive massive celebrations all evening.... And then back to normal Christmas Day!! My young daughter even had a ski lesson and all the shops were open No 'sales' though. But no bad thing frankly.
We have loved it here and vow to do this again at Christmas as it's so much better than the naff elongated Christmas celebrations in the UK. This, in contrast, felt meaningful and special.
In terms of people requiring days off as a right.... All I can say is there's a very different work ethic in other european countries (not all mind, but those not ruled by unions!!) but the waiters, waitresses, shop workers, ski lift operators, ski instructors were all smiling and happy working on Christmas Day. Limiting Christmas to one special evening seems so brilliant

Good thing you can escape there then eh, greyroses.

YANBU OP, I was saying exactly the same thing to my dh. I am not religious in the slightest but do think that the public could suspend their worship of shopping/money for an extra 24 hours. Though witnessing the seige mentality regarding food for one day of closure, I don't know. Madness!

The only way to change it is to do something about it. Anyone up for an Occupy Living Rooms protest next Boxing Day?

YANBU. I have had to explain until I'm blue in the face to DS (7) that shops are closed xmas day as it's a special day and only open for a few hours boxing day as it's also a special day, and tomorrow is BH etc. He has been most put out driving past the new 24 hours Tesco in town that it's shut because it 'should' be open 24 hours. We have had to pass it 6 times in 2 days when visiting relatives.

I did ask him why he needed to go to Tesco's. He said what if adults do for food and I explained it's about thinking ahead etc.

I also don't agree about 'other religions/cultures etc' When I lived abroad I had to rearrange my lifestyle around 'siestas' and Sunday closed rule because that is the historic culture of the country. I was able to have my own beliefs/ culture but I had to fit it around this.

Yeah GreyRoses , damn those pesky Unions and their demands for days off as a right for workers!

I work in retail, so does dh, at managerial level. I have worked in retail all my working life for many different retailers. We do not get double pay, we are not allowed holiday from nov 1st to feb 1st. Everyone has to work the first day of sale. No excuses. It is appalling that shops open boxing day. I believe we would take more money if everyone opens on the 27th. Last year when, due to trading laws, boxing day fell on a Sunday so a lot didn't open, we had a huge 1st day of sale on h 27th. It's only due to pressure to follow other stores we opened boxing day his year. It's pure greed. And totally un necessary. Nobody needs to shop on boxing day. It is not necessary. It is ridiculous to compare it to hospitals, armed forces ect. It has nothing to do with religion or culture. It's just a nice thing to do. Two days a year to reflect with friends, family ect. I agree with pubs and restaurants ect being closed to fwiw. I have workd in Austria where nothing opened on a Sunday. Everyone survived. Two days a year and we can't even cope with that. All the gadgets ect we have in modern life to entertain us. And we still need to go out and by more material things. I think it says a lot about society. Makes me sad

I utterly refuse to go shopping on Boxing Day, it is a family day. I wish that everyone did the same and then the staff could have the day off. It is pure greed.

My yr11 DS who has just turned 16 worked today. He works for very well known electrical store and was rostored for today (and every day this week except friday) got time and a half. He did 7 hours and came home exhausted and went to bed early!

I don't go shopping either, but because I don't like shopping and don't want to go to crowded shops and look around at stuff people don't want to buy so it gets reduced for sale time, its bad enough other times of the year. I don't get a family day either as my dd1 works in a pub where other people go that aren't shopping

I have a question that has been bothering me for years. Why do shop workers have no right in law to be paid more for working on boxing day/bank holidays/sundays etc, yet if id wanted to get a taxi today they would have charged me triple time/double time/time and a half etc???!!!!

I have to say I was very pleased Halfords was open today. DH and DD had planned a bike ride, forgetting that somehow just before xmas her helmet had got squished (she wasn't in it at the time!)

So, to the staff in Halfords (who all seemed perfectly cheerful ) - thanks for saving our family Boxing Day fresh air activity!

DH said when he was a boy and shops all were closed on Xmas and Boxing Day, he thought someone ought to go round in a van selling batteries for all the children whose parents had made the classic error.