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.

We had a lovely boxing day thanks to those who were working. In the morning I took my mum out to get the papers and milk ( she gets anxious otherwise) Then dd and I went up the road and bought a much needed printer for dd in the Curry's sale up the road. It was quiet and the service excellent.
After a leisurely lunch, extended washing up and laundry, we chatted and then drove into town. We had a really nice couple of hours admiring the fantastic decorations and shopping (for much needed lingerie amongst other things) with our Christmas vouchers in Selfridges (which was relatively deserted owing to stabbings). Then we had a pizza together in the cosy Pizza Express in prettily lit St Christopher's place, again served by lovely staff. Then we went for a magical skate by the Tiffany lit tree at Somerset House, again with super supporting staff, who included someone from dd's year at uni by chance. On the way back to the car we passed a Tesco Express, open at 11pm, and thankfully bought some milk and butter.

The leisure industry always works when other people holiday and many of the temps are students financing their education/travel. I really appreciated the chance to do something nice with the dc on my day off. London used to be dead after 5pm and on Sundays. I do agree with Sunday trading restrictions so that all can have a break. But we did have a lovely time........

It's all very perverse this whole Boxing Day spending after Christmas Day. Done it myself - but it's a weird gear shift.

I own an independent shop and really wish we could afford to stay closed for longer over the festive period. We close Christmas day and Boxing Day (the boxing day bit is unusual in our industry, but I firmly believe my staff deserve at least two days off). I loose sales on Boxing Day though and it is a difficult decision.

I cannot afford to close for longer- the sales are on, trade is tough and our competitors are all open. I wish there was some legislation that could help.

To those who have suggested that greedy bosses have their feet up while their employees graft over Christmas that is not always the case. All my team, including me have worked extra hard but I everyone except me had either Christmas Eve or today (27th) off, I had neither.

IMO the big corporations have to take some of the blame. They make decisions based on profits without valuing their staff. The rest of us have to follow suit or we will get squeezed out.

The time has come in this country to

''put people before profits''

I don't call leisure industry staff lorry drivers, who work on boxing day as they are forced to by the supermarkets as stock has to be brought in as they want to open. Not all shop workers and restaurant workers are students financing trips away (there has been mention more than once about students working boxing day) there are a lot of parents working boxing day, parents with small children who have to find child care and travel into work which isn't cheap or easy as nursery is closed and taxis are expensive when public transported is closed.

As for staff in the leisure industry being happy, well it is part of customer service, you can't be miserable if working when you don't want to you may as well keep your job by smiling.

As for the poster who is on a skiing holiday where everything is open christmas day and its the way to go - well that poster is allowed to book holiday/ annual leave between 1st dec and 1 feb - otherwise she wouldn't be the one on holiday. So its ok for them to holiday but great for everyone else to work - well yes otherwsie they wouldn't actually be there..?

I manage a hotel. Our restaurants had 450 pre booked covers on Xmas day and 350 on boxing day. The hotel is 70% occupied, and those staying require their rooms to be serviced, to be fed and watered, have somebody at reception etc.

I spend an awful lot of time away from home, and work long hours. Some days I'll leave the house at 6.30am and not get in until around 10pm. Thats when I'm actually home. My first day actually at home was boxing day. I had no food in, nothing to drink etc so took a trip to Asda, which was fairly busy.

It's all good and well telling me to plan in advance, but where am I to store milk etc when I'm not home?

125,000 people visited one shopping centre yesterday. At this time when retail businesses are going bust one after the other, of course business owners are completely right to take advantage of a day when the footfall is so high. Businesses exist to make profit. If they aren't making profit they can't survive, and those workers moaning about working boxing day will soon enough have it off, along with the other 364 days. You enter into a job knowing full well when you will be working. You do get days off. They may not be weekend days, but you do get 2 days off each week.

the first hour in selfridges yesterday grossed 1.3 million in the till

I would also like to point out that the staff at Next HAVE to work late xmas eve (many not leaving until 7pm) to prepare for the sale and then go to work at 5.30am boxing day. Thats ALL staff, it is not an option and no holiday is allowed, and they punish you if you are off sick Boxing day.

There is also no extra pay for working these hours, not a bean.

This year in particular the shops had no reason at all not to delay the sales for one day, to today with it also being a bank holiday.

I do t celebrate Xmas but would be happy if shops shut Xmas day and boxing day. I know how hard people work and agree they should be allowed time off.
I use to work for next and remember working very late on Xmas eve and then returning 4am on boxing day to hoards of people shoving and fighting over clothes!!

You enter into a job knowing full well when you will be working

If that was the case that would be OK. My DH started his job - in retail- 22 years ago. Over the years his contract has been changed and changed and changed. At that point you have two choices. Either sign the new contract or sack yourself.

So he started a job with Saturday nights off guaranteed, 4 nights a week, BHs recognised. He now works 5 nights a week, at least 10 extra hours a week unpaid, works every single weekend, they "don't recognise BHs" so you don't get any extra pay. He slept all day 24th because he was working 23rd. He had 25th at home, but ended up falling asleep most of the afternoon. Yesterday he had to "pop in" during the afternoon for about an hour to close the petrol station, after which he had to sleep so that he was ready to work again last night.

It does seem to be that people who are lucky enough to have a proper break from work are those shouting the loudest about needing shops to be open. As someone else said, why don't we go the whole hog and insist that offices, schools, dentists, doctors are open 24 hours 7 days a week?

Our grandparents fought for the right to have weekends off work, and for bank holidays and the like. We are just gradually giving up all those hard-won benefits :(

Squidy biscuits- I work in a restaurant and am in at some point every day. The shifts are only 5.5 to 6 hours long so I have to go in every say to make up full time hours. I would much rather do 5 8 to 10 hour days, but it doesn't work like that. I get my holiday entitlement the sane as everybody else, but no additional days off.

Everywhere but the fire service, ambulance service, doctors and hospitals should be closed on were closed on Xmas day, boxing day, new years day, Easter Sunday. What about the nhs helpline and breakdown recovery - not sure about those.

But you still have your time off.

I tend to work 5-6 days, for anything upto 18hours over Xmas. My front of house staff all work over Xmas. It is made very clear at interview that they would be doing so. The service industry needs to function at the times that other industries don't as that is when there is biggest demand for service. Restaurants and shops are busier at the weekend, as are hairdressers, beauticians, often hotels, bars etc. My back office staff dont work as there is nothing for them to do. Nobody is looking to book a conference, chase up invoices etc over Xmas.

It makes no sense to close a business on a day when potential millions in revenue can be generated. Even more so in this climate.

And my restaurants made £60k on Xmas day. That is usually the weekly takings. They then made another £45k on boxing day.

FWIW, that revenue will sit nicely in the accounts to offset the quieter weeks we will experience in early jan, when snow comes, ash clouds stop people travelling etc.

well we were grateful as a family the shops were open on boxing day (not all of them john lewis, m&s and many others were closed) but enough were open that my sisters husband and my mum and myself were able to go and buy small nappies and baby clothes for my sisters baby that was born on christmas day!!! he was 3 wks early and so small (almost 7lb so not too small) but all the nappies and clothes they had were too small and they were not totally ready for his arrival so had a few last bits to get! and YES i went to the next sale, at 11am tho! and got some lovely little baby boy clothes at great prices!

that should be all the nappies and clothes they had were too BIG not small!

oh and my dp works in a childrens home, this was the first time in 4yrs that he had xmas day off and he was back to work on boxing day and is working today as well, i also used to work in an oap home so used to working holidays and my dad was RAF so again worked the holidays, my mum is a nurse but actually had some time off this year. its part of life as a grown up you may have to work xmas/boxing day, new year etc [shrug]

I think we live in a 24 hour society and people WANT the choice to look round shops at opportunities they have if they for instance have worked shifts during the traditional shopping hours. It's called moving with the times and people are lucky to have a job at all at the moment

The major problem though is why big SALES the day after Christmas Day. Only 24 little hours after. Too much!!

....Less than 24 hours after actually. Nine hours after!

I really dont see the point of boxing day sales my friend was working at 7 am boxing day at the shop she works in , she said it was so busy though so alot of people seem to go , Its christmas for crying out loud do people need clothes that bad ? yanbu people just get a bit greedy and carried away , what happened to the good old january sales ,

Nobody should have to start work at 5am on Boxing Day except 999 emrgency services etc

DD works in a care home and Boxing Day was the only day she gets off this week....

Generally in retail employees are NOT ALLOWED HOLIDAYS from 1st Dec until after the new year.

well my dp also isnt allowed to book any time off for the whole of dec, early jan, and he also struggles to get time off in the school holidays as they need more staff for the childrens home at that time. it sucks but its life really, i dont know why people get so bothered about it all, no its not nice having to work holidays but it is part of life nowadays in many jobs.

As a doctor I have worked at least 20 Christmases /New Years. I didn't mind because I felt my colleagues/patients needs were greater. The family have generally coped perfectly well. I didn't get paid any extra for it as I took other days off. But I agree with some of the posters above: where employers (such as the NHS) are fair, working on holidays is OK because one gets time off in lieu. It is very sad to read of those above who are forced into working unreasonable hours with the only alternative being the sack, or who never get a day off in december at all, I do think the unions these days have been abandoned by all political parties and the human needs and rights of those who work for a living are gradually being eroded.