AIBU Christmas and retail

[ItsaTenfromDen]

I work in retail, yes this is my choice at the moment, would dearly love another job, but so far this is proving hard to find.

AIBU to be annoyed by someones desire to go shopping on Boxing Day? I will be up at 4.30 and opening at 6am. What can anyone possibly need at 6am on Boxing Day? We don't sell medicine or food!

I appreciate that Doctors and Nurses and other professions have to work, but I see that as a necessary park of their job. People need medical attention every day.

Even if I didn't work in retail I would never think of going shopping on Boxing Day, I've seen enough of the shops in the run up to Christmas.

estate I don't want to be paid for working bd, I don't want to work it. I might add that I don't get paid for christmas day either, just forced to take holiday that day.

What do you think these companies did 7 or 8 years ago when the shops didn't open? Their profits managed then and if all the big sales stores closed the shopping would just be delayed.

Aworldofmyown im in agreement with you. When i worked in retail i would have preferred Boxing Day off unpaid rather than working it and getting paid. Time with family at christmas is more important to me than money.

Yes, it's so sad that people would rather go bargain-hunting and abuse overworked retail staff, rather than spend Boxing Day with their family and friends.

Nathan I work in retail management (boo, hiss) and shop workers do have legal right to opt out of sunday working at any time by giving notice. I believe this should also be extended to boxing day, and our shops don't open until 27th but we are in the minority.

Uugh, shopping on Boxing day? What can you possibly need, straight after Christmas? It's pure GREED. And I for one, always feel like a massive twat for paying full price, just a few days before. But I'd rather do that, than go shopping on Boxing day, for the left over remnants.

I think most of us are dancing to the Retailers tune actually.

"Hey, it's Christmas - come and buy some shit!"

"Now it's Boxing Day - want some half priced shit?"

"Boxing Day over, but fret not - come and shop for shit in the New Year sales!"

"New Year is so over - but look, it's time to peddle hearts, flowers and red shit for Valentines, yay!"

"Uugh Valentines is so last week - have you bought your Easter Eggs yet?"

"Mother's day is here, yay - let's whip that credit card out, must spoil Mum"

"Summer Holidays! - Come on you chumps, you need a hew holiday wardrobe!"

"Father's day is here - come and buy some tools and socks, that we know he already has"

Summer is over - back to school guys, roll up for new Uniforms, shoes and all things stationery!

Halloween time Chump chops! - come and but a load of plastic tat and feed your kids with lots of our sweeties!

Halloween is over, let's get the Christmas trees up! (Oh hang on, they've been up since September) - come and max out your credit card to the Tits, buying as much crap as you can. We promise we won't sell it at half the price in a month, all the while laughing at your stupidity (oh, hang on....)

The thing about 'perks' etc,like double time,triple time,a weeks holiday taken after new years to recoup etc. don't exist. Because in this climate you know you can't make too much of a fuss unless you're a manager or higher with a particular skillset or qualification, otherwise you're ten a penny to replace.
Workers rights and unions? Don't think i've ever met a retail/catering worker in a union, myself included, My 'trade' being a bar manager,but I've done shop floor work too, and I work closely with a team of chefs. Workers rights are frequently pissed on, but we put up with it, The 'rules' are set by head office, not entirely legal most of the time, and further flounced by general and regional managers.
The last week I worked, currently on mat leave, One of the kitchen team members worked an 80hr work week not including breaks, which are unpaid. 6 days in total, 5 of which were 15hrs 7am till 10pm. the 6th day was midday until 10pm.
Those are not legal hours, considering that the 'rest break' between shifts is meant to be 11hrs, so 4/6 shifts done that week were illegal.. But those hours are not uncommon if someone is ill/can't work/quits or we're having a busy period. Same goes for floor/bar staff. They don't fuck you around so badly when you're salaried, I'm one of the lucky ones.
0hr and low hour contracts are the norm. General manager has a lovely habit of cutting your hours down to as little as possible if you phone in sick, even if its the first time in years. and if your contract says 16hrs thats all you get even if you've worked 50 hours plus for your entire duration there.
Now, I'm telling you all this because I have a question for you.
Why do you think it will be any different over the festive period?
Hint: Its not, its worse.

Some people financially rely on getting savings on items they could not afford otherwise. You are fortunate that you have a choice, some people don't

Oh shopper what utter nonsense you're talking

Sales shopping is a luxury! The sales have never been the cheapest way to shop, unless you think you "need" top brand items.

e.g. a recomissioned dyson is cheaper all year round than a new dyson is in the sales. If you're fixated on brand new, the cheapest brand vacumes are never reduces and are cheaper all year round than the sales vacuums.

The sales have nothing to do with providing the less fortunate with what they need - honestly what nonsense!

Some people financially rely on getting savings on items they could not afford otherwise. You are fortunate that you have a choice, some people don't

If this was the case, they could get exactly the same savings if the sales started on the 27th December.

Yeah cos the less fortunate can really afford to run cars or get taxis to a sale on a bank holiday.

Like i said..............mental gymnastics.

I don't shop on Boxing Day.

I think it's great that John Lewis is closed on Boxing Day and New Year's Day!

I work in an office and weekends and bank holidays are non working days - and bank holidays are paid - why can't retailers pay their staff for not working on Boxing Day?

Cocklodger, you mention unions
I'm surprised there isn't more union membership in retail and hospitality but I don't know what reasons there might be.

polar many people don't get holiday & bank holidays. The Bank holidays HAVE to be taken from holiday entitlement.

That is also assuming you are actually allowed the bank holiday off, most retail and catering staff are not allowed holiday over the festive period (unless the store is closed)

The holiday entitlement will have the number of bank holidays rolled up in to it though. They still get them as paid holiday at some point

Bank Holidays are included in holiday entitlement in a lot of places. So you get x days including bank holidays.

When I worked for a big-box retailer (the cheap green one!) we had to work a certain number of bank holidays, plus either Boxing Day or New Years Day. The number you had to work got less the longer you'd been there, but you always had to work one over Christmas. We shut Easter Sunday by law, but if you wanted to get paid, it had to come out of your holiday, or you just lost a days pay.

I work for a much smaller chain now and we're treated so much better. Double pay for all bank holidays, no evening work as we shut at 6pm, no early starts as we open at 10am, guaranteed weekends off (not all the time, but say 1 in 4/5) without using up holiday. I'm much happier, funnily enough!

Re lack of unions in retail etc - usually because there's minimum hours contracts and you hope to get extra shifts, people in unions - less likely to get extra shifts/promotion.

Illegal but as with discrimination of other kinds the employers claim that person is 'less experienced' and other non reasons.

Can't you be in a union anonymously? i have been in the past but not in retail.

Sorry I mean without employer knowing, don't know why I typed "anon"

On bus! Woohoo! X

Shit sorry wrong thread!

A union doesn't really have any power. I suppose it would be someone to moan to

Call me naive and old fashioned but I was truly shocked a few years ago to hear someone had been shopping on Boxing Day. Not to mention the fact that by the time I went shopping about 3 days later, most of the sales had been picked over / sold out.

Someone asked if NHS staff get extra pay for bank holidays - yes, staff under Agenda for Change (nurses, allied healthcare professionals, ancillary and estates, clerical etc) do.

All time on Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8 pm and before 6 am
All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight)

Depending on band and time, this can be 30-60% extra. Which I think is fair and bumps up the relatively low pay too.

As a student retail sales assistant quite a few years ago, I was paid double time for New Years Day - I presume all retailers have stopped paying extra now?

It doesn't obly spoil Christmas for the shopworkers but the whole family. My daughter only had 2 days off. And spent 16 hours driving home later Christmas eve. W literally had 1day together and did hardly anything that we used to do as a family. Next time I will sew her is Easter and probably same again. Glad ahe is going into teaching next year. There is absolutely no need for shops to open boxing day though.