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AIBU?

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Original poster

About non-essential shops being open on boxing day

292 replies

NayrusWisdom7 · 26/12/2014 13:12

Just that I am sick and tired of christmas being ruined every year by having to work Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The sales may be all well and good but someone has to give up their day to make it happen! I think if stores are to be open at all on boxing day they should be subject to sunday trading hours of 1-6 only. I'm sure fellow retail workers will agree.. Or maybe I'm just bitter?

OP posts:
KatieKaye · 27/12/2014 07:19

My Dad had a corner shop from the 1950s.
He was always open for a few hours on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day because he did good business on then. He couldn't afford not to work on those days. It didn't ruin the time for anyone.

Oh, and he was always open on Sundays too. Because it is not the case that all shops used to be shut then either.

All sorts of people have different needs and wants. That doesn't mean any of the, are wrong, just different.

AuntieStella · 27/12/2014 07:26

"When I was little I don't remember the shops opening on Boxing Day..."

That's because pretty much everything closed every Bank Holiday, not just the Christmas ones. The change has been very recent.

NowBringUsSomeFuzzpiggyPudding · 27/12/2014 07:30

Is the best solution that can be raised "change your job then"? Only I thought we were in an economy where jobs weren't exactly abundant

This

DropYourSnow · 27/12/2014 08:01

Not sure why anyone would blame the customers rather than the employers for being open Christmas or Boxing Day.

I've personally never bombarded ANY place of business demanding that they open on Christmas Day. But if somewhere is open, I might go. I was at a friends house and they'd forgotten orange juice, and wanted Buck's Fizz (bleurgh) for breakfast! I drive out for 5 minutes and found a corner shop open and "saved" Christmas for them.

I understand that people would prefer to not work Christmas, but direct your anger towards the appropriate people. Or, you know, just grow up. I've had to work plenty of Christmases. It's not ideal. But you just get on with it.

HicDraconis · 27/12/2014 08:12

This thread is disgusting. In a way I hope meandyou and dastardly haven't left it because I'd like them both to know there is another stranger on the net that thinks they are boils on the arsehole of humanity.

I hope they never get sick on a bank holiday, forcing all those doctors, nurses and allied hcp to work when they'd rather be at home with their families - oh, wait. That was me last year, when I was on leave (not even stat day off but on holiday) but came into work for 6h because people still need surgery and emergency caesareans on Boxing Day and the call staff were already busy. And I didn't hate them (even the ones who were there through their own daft choices) - I sympathised, laughed and cried with them, talked with them and was glad I could be there for them to make a stressful time a bit easier. I think that means I'm in the right job :)

There are so many reasons why people will always need other people to be at work for them - if you take a job in a service industry (hospitality, healthcare etc) and don't understand that it means being at work when the rest of the world is on holiday / asleep then it's not the service users who are the "dickheads".

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 27/12/2014 08:40

Our office closes between Christmas and new year and we do have to use some AL to cover certain days, but we do get above the statutory allowance.

Most people are happy to take all the time off and would do anyway even if we opened, but we do have a couple of people that would prefer to work, but they get out voted - we wouldn't open the building and put the heating on just for a couple of people out of 50.

ouryve · 27/12/2014 08:46

I don't think it's particularly civilised if people in offices are forced to take annual leave between 24th December and 5th January. Does this enforced leave come out of their annual allowance?

Yes it does, ilovesooty. DH has always had to save 3 days to cover that period and that's working for various companies.

I'm wondering if meandyou has the same feelings about all those "dickheads" who never set foot in a church all year, then rock up at their local at 11pm on Christmas eve so they can get all misty eyed singing carols by candlelight at midnight Hmm That's non-essential, surely? I mean, they could just sing carols by their own Christmas tree, at home and not make people have to leave their families and go to work to make it happen for them Xmas Hmm

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 08:53

I worked on a project once that enforced a/L between Christmas and new year. It was a pita and left me short on time I needed during the rest of the year. However that was the way things were done and I was glad to move on.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/12/2014 09:21

People need the likes of Doctors, nurses, careworkers etc and you'd be a bit daft to think you wouldn't have to work at least one of the holiday days over Christmas. These are essential services and need to be open 24/7. Nobody needs the likes of shops, bars and restaurants open on the holiday days.

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 09:24

So no one should be allowed to stay in a hotel or go on holiday over Christmas?

insancerre · 27/12/2014 09:32

Wow
Tjwte are some goady poaters on this thread
Expat. I'm sorry for your loss
Mean is so in the wrong job
I work in a nursery and i joke its the perfect job except for the children and the parents. But its just a joke, I don't really think it

NoLongerJustAShopGirl · 27/12/2014 09:51

brother runs a kennels - he does not get holidays at Christmas or in summer - his busiest times. Perhaps he should stop and we would not have any kennels within 30 miles, so people would not feel so comfortable going away and leaving their pets. Or maybe people should not be allowed to go visit family long distances away.

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 09:54

Good point ShopGirl

When my mother was still at home I had to put my cat in the cattery when visiting her for Christmas. Perhaps I should just have stayed put and let her be on her own.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/12/2014 10:13

I've noticed a couple of pubs local to us that either used to open for a couple of hours on Xmas day or be closed altogether have now started opening all day. Why? What is the need for that when they're all open all day every day all year round.

KatieKaye · 27/12/2014 10:21

Presumably because these pubs are getting business at those times. They aren't likely to be opening unless there was a demand.

So many pubs are closing down that it is totally understandable that a publican would wish to maximise their earnings.

Personally, I've never been to a pub on Christmas Day, or even Christmas Eve. But that is my choice and I'd never judge anyone who choses to do so.

There are so many people who need to work on holidays - care/medical workers, emergency services, gritter drivers, television/radio/media workers, hospitality staff etc.

A lot of people think that watching TV is a big part of their Christmas and enjoy it. Are they unreasonable? TV isn't essential, after all - it is just entertainment, so let's just give all those people the day off too. And Boxing Day as well.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/12/2014 10:41

Perhaps spare a thought then for the poor buggers who've given up their Christmas so you can enjoy yourselves.

Lweji · 27/12/2014 10:44

When I worked in a HE institution in the UK we had 10 days where it was closed over Christmas and that was in addition to annual leave.
Many of us still had to pop in for essential lab work or in my boss' case to have some quiet time I think, but everyone else was away apart from security.

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 10:48

I do spare a thought for the people working in the hotel and restaurants I've used at Christmas. I've already said I'm grateful to those workers. I just don't see why these facilities shouldn't be available as there are customers there to use them especially as in the current economic climate many businesses are fighting for survival.

Lweji · 27/12/2014 10:48

The question for those who are so down about having to work over Christmas is do you or would you stay away from shops, pubs, and whatever so that people wouldn't have to work those days?
Would you be happy not to have TV for those days? You know, not essential. No phones bar emergency calls? No internet?

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 10:50

Lweji for many it's an enforced part of their normal leave though. I think that's arguably every bit as bad as making people work over Christmas.

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 10:52

Exactly Lweji Lots of people on here who seem to have made use of a lot of non essential services over Christmas.

bananaramadramallama · 27/12/2014 11:02

Perhaps also understand that some people want to work these times for varying reasons.

Wandering around, benevolently bestowing your pity on all those poor, poor folk working on 'holidays' is an exceptionally middle/upper class pursuit.

Some people don't want to work these days, perhaps - but plenty are quite happy to; I was when I worked those sorts of jobs.

It really is beautifully patronising in many ways.

MrsItsNoworNotatAll · 27/12/2014 11:06

I am more than happy to stay away from the shops over Christmas. Well that goes for the rest of the year as well to be honest. Can't say I'm arsed about pubs either. Plus I can't afford it.

ilovesooty · 27/12/2014 11:08

What about the other non essential services you've used over Christmas?

whattheseithakasmean · 27/12/2014 11:12

This is interesting, as a Scot. My parents tell me that Xmas didn't even used to be a 'thing' in Scotland until relatively recently. My grandpa would certainly work as normal - perhaps a half day on xmas day, at most.

Hogmany & new year were the Scottish holiday days, right through until the 60s & 70s, I think. Now Scotland seems to get both.

My point is, working over xmas is not necessarily that unusual. For many, getting holidays xmas is a fairly new concept. So having to work at xmas could be seen as the modern result of mass consumerism or as reverting to tradition.

As with so many things, it all depends on your perspective Grin