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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think if you want retail workers to get Boxing Day off...

193 replies

StillCoughingandLaughing · 24/12/2019 12:38

... the same should apply to bar and restaurant staff, cinema staff etc.?

The last couple of years now I’ve seen campaigns on Facebook pushing for all shops to be closed on Boxing Day to give retail workers ‘A precious day off with their families’. ‘We can all cope for one day without the shops, for heaven’s sake!’, people say, as magnanimous as you like. Yet they go on to wax lyrical about how retail workers deserve to be able to go to the pub or for lunch with their families, or to the panto, like everyone else.

Who do these people think are cooking the meals, serving the drinks etc.? Taking their tickets and showing them their tickets at the theatre? Why don’t these people deserve to be graciously awarded a day off by the great British public - regardless of whether they might actually want the overtime?

AIBU to think that if you’ve ever been to the pub, restaurant, theatre, cinema etc. on Boxing Day, you’re being a massive hypocrite by supporting this kind of campaign?

OP posts:
avisitonthetrain · 25/12/2019 20:37

I don’t think people should have to go into work because some people have no family.

beautifulstranger101 · 25/12/2019 20:42

I don't think all shops should all be shut because a few people don't like it! Many people like working on BD. If people insist on closing the high street on Boxing day then the high street will disappear. High street shops are closing at an alarming rate due to online shopping. If you close on boxing day, that is literally their busiest day of the year and loads of people will be out of a job eventually. The high street is not what it once was.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 25/12/2019 21:52

Boxing day really isnt the busiest day of the year. And rather than taking loads of money at least half of the transactions are refunds/exchanges. So many people bring back the dress they were given for xmas then repurchase it at half the price.

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 25/12/2019 22:00

Absolutely sweeny

wartworries · 25/12/2019 23:20

@sweenytoddsrazor that surely massively depends on the shop?

As a retail manager I know that it's our busiest trading day of the year. We take ten times more than we do any other day and that's including money we lose due to refunds or exchanges.

There is no way our area managers will ever allow us to shut on Boxing Day. We make far too much money for the company to ever consider that as an option!

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 26/12/2019 09:48

So what weve gathered from the thread is that some shops make loads of money and some dont

Some people like to work over Christmas and some dont (but have to)

Some people get overtime rates and some people dont (i don’t know anyone who started retail in about the last 5 years who gets extra money...but i know people whove worked in let's say M&S For 10 plus years who got extras that aren’t available to at least the new staff now)

Well thats very unhelpful Grin

But life

Biancadelrioisback · 26/12/2019 10:24

@PosiePie and when the same individual who groped you, then told you to cheer up/learn to take a joke comments on you every time you pass them
"There goes the mardy, uptight lass. Whoa, don't get too close, she can't take a joke. Ah mate, she'll probably try and sue you if you speak to her. Bet she's shit in bed anyways. Feel sorry for your lad" Etc etc. But it goes on all night and you can't get away from them. They think they're funny in front of their mates and you're just hoping that they're all mouth and aren't actually going to be one of the creeps who hang about when the venue closes to try and bother you some more.

Skinnychip · 26/12/2019 11:13

My best friend has worked for a well known high street store for over 10 years , they don't get paid extra for BH and have the stress of getting there without public transport.

LadyTiredWinterBottom2 · 26/12/2019 11:38

The thing is though many of those retail staff were working late on Christmas eve to sort thr sale stuff out and will have a hellish day with people being rude and pushing and shoving going on. It's not the same as going out for dinner or the cinema. These places are a lifeline for people that have been lonely or with people they don't want to be with over the past couple of days.

Cuteypye · 26/12/2019 13:18

As a nurse I didn’t get any choice about whether I worked Christmas Day or New Years Day. Enhanced pay was time + 60% (same as on any Sunday) with no extra day in lieu. I certainly would rather have had the day off. Perhaps we should just have closed the hospitals too, so we all got a day off? Patients could be sent home for relatives to look after them and home carers should also be off so no help there either!

This year I am babysitting as dd is working as a nurse. Other dd worked yesterday and she and sil are also working today!

SemperIdem · 26/12/2019 13:23

Completely agree. I currently work in retail but even before that I was more than happy to stock up adequately on enough food and drink to ensure I didn’t actually need to go out anywhere between Christmas and New Year.

I’d be perfectly happy to see everything close on Boxing Day. Nobody needs to go to Next/Asda/the pub/cinema on Boxing Day. Or New Years Day for that matter.

Booksandwine80 · 26/12/2019 13:26

I have to admit OP I’ve never thought about it that way but you are 100% right Xmas Smile

Boxing Day should be a second day of slowing down and relaxing (where possible obviously)

kinsss · 26/12/2019 13:49

Consumerism seems to be a new religion now.

It really is 24/7/365. I deliberately refuse to leave the house from 24th -26th apart from a walk in the park if the weather is ok. I do not go near a shop pub or restaurant either until New Year. It is just too much TBH, and I am a lazy sod too.

I do hope that the movement to have shops closed on BD succeeds. We will survive.

Misscromwellrocks · 26/12/2019 14:23

Maybe if some of the people rushing around the shops on boxing day spent the time visiting older relatives or calling on neighbours with no family around, there'd be less lonely people needing things open over Christmas.

Misscromwellrocks · 26/12/2019 14:25

@Cuteypye

It has been specified many times on this thread that people are not talking about essential services.

ivykaty44 · 26/12/2019 14:26

Well said Misscromwellrocks

HouseworkAvoider10 · 26/12/2019 15:03

I'm so glad I don't need to waitress anymore.
we used to be run off our feet on boxing day.
absolutely no respite, all day long.
it was awful.

all day and night long, we'd have customers saying "oh its such a shame you have to work", all the while stuffing their faces.

RufusthebewiIderedreindeer · 26/12/2019 15:16

all day and night long, we'd have customers saying "oh its such a shame you have to work

Hate it when they do that

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