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.

absolutely trumps being rude to someone who can walk away in terms of cruelness

It doesn't trump it when you have been humiliated by retail shop staff and treated disgracefully. The staff still keep their jobs

My 17 year old will probably want to go shopping on Boxing Day. He will get mostly money on Xmas day, BD is when he will get to have gifts in his hands. I imagine there are many teens just like him having to wait for Xmas day to get money.

I wouldn't want to go out on BD but I don't judge those that do. It is shit for the workers and I would be more than happy to see shops closed but many people enjoy shopping on BD and I don't get the judgments towards them.

I love the idea that people think we have a choice as to whether we can work or not.

We had our Christmas rotas handed out last week. Every single person is working Boxing Day - management, stock room, customer service - no-one is allowed a day off and nobody is allowed to book holiday either. I'm lucky in that I get double-time on the 26th AND 27th, and I get Christmas Eve off, and I'm actually grateful for that.

My old job (big box retailer) was worse. Everyone had to work over Christmas, you didn't get double-time, no holidays throughout December or the first half of January. I'm just grateful I don't have to go through that again!

And at least we don't open at 6am - just 9am-6pm this year!

Don't know where all you guys work but where I work we can have holidays all throughout December. I've got xmas week off, not back till the day after Boxing Day and we've got our xmas rotas already after being asked what we'd prefer to work. Most people have chosen either xmas or new year. And this is a big retailer. Yeah retails crap but not when you work for a decent company

We are mystery shopped every other week. If you get under 90% on a mystery shop the whole store workforce loses their measly 'customer satisfaction bonus'.

We are watched constantly, told were not fast enough, not smily enough, have to ask EVERY customer if they need help to promptly receive abuse from the customer about how many times they have been asked for help moaned at because customers can't instantly find a member of staff to help. Timed at how quickly we pick up parcels (doesn't matter how many, how large or how high up that are) and pulled up if we fall below target.
Searched EVERY time we leave the store with that time being taken out of our break or at the end of the shift. Have to be on the shop floor for a store update ten minutes BEFORE our shift. Not allowed to leave until all jobs are finished (but no extra pay).

Oh and when the store isn't taking in as much as they would like they cut everyones hours, because we are all on small contracts and they can.

All for minimum wage, but your right we should be grateful, at least we have a job

Aworld I think we work for the same retailer I have to say the line managers/store manager etc at my store ARE actually very nice and fair and I count a lot of my colleagues as friends now, the sales manager especially has really gone above and beyond for me in the past and I just love her, and in fact our store is actually apparently the nicest one to work at in the area and people who transfer over are amazed at how friendly we all are lol... BUT I do think the customer experience thing is a load of shite when you're understaffed (which we usually are). It's simply not possible to give every customer 100% of your attention when there are two staff members for the whole floor. I know the only reason the managers have to push it is because THEIR managers give them an earful if it's not deemed "good enough", but the expectation that you can go up to hundreds of customers daily as soon as you see them to ask them if they need help (while juggling a thousand other tasks that are deemed equally important) is a bit exhausting... don't get me started on those bloody First Time Surfers!!!

When I think about this seriously it is a bit much aint it? I mean, most parents have to plan, shop, wrap, organise before xmas and then can spend the entire day cooking, baking unwrapping, clearing up. Then to wake up at 5am next day for work purely so people can shop some more..... I know I said it already but it is taking the .

Those who celebrate christmas are being ripped off as all the sale goods then go to those who don't. So if you are a Christian or family /community focussed you miss out.

I think there is really something not nice about it but wouldn't expect to find any agreement here as I recognise that it is an unreasonable sentiment.

Those who celebrate christmas are being ripped off as all the sale goods then go to those who don't. So if you are a Christian or family /community focussed you miss out.

What's the significance of Boxing Day to Christians? I don't think it had any (and I am one!).

And I used to work in retail a long time ago - so things have changed - but it was always tough although nice customers and a good team helped. It is so pressurised now. Really, "the world's gone mad!"

I've never been shopping on Boxing Day, however when I was a student I had to work boxing day, which meant not being able to go home for Christmas (Christmas alone in a student flat, yay) as I wouldn't be able to get back to the city I was at uni in, 3 hours away. I didn't complain though, its part of working in retail, something you're well aware of before you take the job.

My mum has always worked in retail which meant lots of Christmas eves/boxing days etc. with her working, it was part of life with someone working in retail.

No Boxing day but celebrating Christmas as big festival usually means you are not up for an early start on Boxing Day.

(I know - I knew I was BU)

Puddington possibly!! My colleagues are all lovely and the management are nice enough - they just tow the company line, they have to for the same reasons we just get on with it! Doesn't make it ok though.

shopper sounds like you just have a personal vendetta against all retail workers. Humiliating customers is fairly rare in my experience.

Shopper5 is being deliberately provocative. It's only fear of missing out that makes people go to the sales on Boxing Day. If the shops closed until the day after Boxing Day, people would just shop then instead. It's cited in the media that there's additional revenue to be made if the shops are open a extra day. I don't get this - I have X amount of money to spend, regardless of when I'm shopping.

SIL works in retail. Doesn't drink a lot, but has to curb what she does drink on Christmas Day as she's invariably driving to work early the next morning. Perhaps she might give Shopper5 a lift for a win-win situation on *Shopper5's" part.

Retail workers are treated awfully. The 'get another job' 'you chose to work retail' comments are ignorant because many in retail especially at the lower end haven't chosen it its just that's what few jobs are available.

Not just retail workers either, some call centres, and I've even known offices open Boxing Day.

I think I'm right in saying (and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) that uk workers work more hours for less pay and worse conditions than just about every other country in the developed world!

I lived in Europe for a few years and while it took a little getting used to I actually came to like shops and many other businesses closing half day Wednesday's and Sunday's, like it used to be here. People forget Sunday opening let alone bank holiday opening is quite a new thing. We managed indeed thrived for hundreds of years without 24/7/365 opening.

Spare a thought for the poor hospitality workers me also - they will all be working over Christmas & so will plenty of other minimum wages, 0 hours contract staff.

Boxing Day from the seventeenth century on used to be the time servants were given time off in lieu of serving on Christmas Day and given boxes and gratuities and time off to visit their families if they could.

Clearly emergency services work all the way through including those in hospitals and care homes, call centres, flood engineers on standby etc - as do tv and radio staff and entertainers but they do get paid extra for it.

The problem is the way retailers maximise turn-over. Including late night Christmas Eve price drops and now Boxing Day price drops to say nothing of the January sales and Black Friday. Presumably a lot of it can be done online.

I think we should go the Spanish way - they celebrate Christmas as a feast but presents are mostly given in January when they reckoned the Magi arrived to give presents.

In my line of business those who weren't Christian often volunteered to do the rota. However, this doesn't apply in rural areas with few who aren't "Christian".. As for opening up so elderly people can have someone to talk to - I'm not sure that's a reason to keep people away from their families and not be able to visit their own.

So Shopper5 wants to go to the shops to avoid being lonely but will only be abused when he/she gets there.....makes sense.

Only just spotted this thread but this article about the pressures on Hermes drivers went online last night.

www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/20/road-safety-risk-tired-black-friday-delivery-drivers-health-and-safety-executive?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The Sunday hours would be ideal. Next don't start their sale until the 27th of boxing day is a Sunday as if they opened early they'd have to close early.

wheat used on another thread and by the same person that's doing their best Four Yorkshiremen on this thread too.

YANBU. I worked in retail when I was at uni and one Christmas Eve was stuck doing a layout change until almost 1am. I then had to be in at 7.30 on the day after Boxing Day for the first day of sale. It ruined Christmas for me and for my BF and probably my family who had to ferry me around as I didn't have a car.

I think it's the sort of thing that online shopping is useful for - sale shopping, if you're that way inclined. Of course we could open everything on Boxing Day, but then why not Christmas Day too? Just because we can it doesn't mean it's right

So Shopper5 wants to go to the shops to avoid being lonely but will only be abused when he/she gets there.....makes sense

Wrong you make no sense whatsoever

I am not lonely but some people are. Try having a little compassion

Retail staff can be eye abusive, no doubt

The argument about people being lonely has been used on another thread running about this issue. I don't understand why people feel that retail (and hospitality) workers should pick up society's failings in mental health provision or forming a sense of community. It's an utterly ludicrous argument

It is not about retail workers picking up on anything.

If lonely people feel better going round the shops then why not? Everyone is entitled to shop for whatever reasons they choose