To feel for retail workers tomorrow and think most shops should just close until January

[MindYours]

Tomorrow a load of retail workers will have to drag their arses out of bed away from their families at stupid o clock, just so people can trample all over each other trying to get a tenner off a handbag in the sales or to do a food shop they probably don't really need?

If it was up to me I would close the majority of large supermarkets and high street clothing stores until 2 January, as some offices do. People have all year to organise themselves and make sure enough food is in. There are many convenience stores open all year round because they are privately owned and choose to, or because they don't celebrate Christmas etc.

Would it really be so bad for large chain stores to give their staff a proper break (I don't work in retail myself) and just let January sales start in... January?

I get it but new starters don't

My office doesn’t shut. There are people in my office working between Christmas and New Year because they have chosen to use their annual leave at other times of the year. Not all offices shut.

DH does this and it works great as his work is dead between Christmas and NY, so he just 'works' from home but can't really do anything as no one else is there so just leaves his laptop and phone switched on and does normal stuff. It's free holiday basically!

Emeraldshamrock most restaurant workers don't get any extra pay (they certainly don't in any I know) on bank holidays
It is the law in Ireland. I am sure it is the same in England if you are employed over 3 months and paying NI.
Part timers get a 5th of their weekly pay. Full timers a fifth of their pay usually one day 8 hours.
If you work get paid the day with BH or flat rate with a paid day off. I prefer the double pay.

But they won't get paid. People often can't afford to take that much time off.

Nah, many retail workers will be happy to go to a work for a break from the enforced jollity at home, I'm working tomorrow and don't mind at all. Bored of Christmas now. At least at work, I can 'pretend' I don't want to be there and be all 'woe is me'. In terms of workload, the few days prior to Xmas are most akin to apocalypse now, then it drops off massively after Xmas. New year is mostly about snacks and booze.

Oh right, so we should let prisoners off for the month of Christmas - so everyone can go back to their families?
We should just stop getting sick over December - think of the NHS.
We are banned from cooking/driving or doing anything that could result in an accident requiring the fire department to come out.
All the soldiers need to be sent home for December, there’s to be no fighting during Christmas months.
Unfortunately the world doesn’t work the way you seem to want it to op. You have a multitude of people who still have to work their scheduled shifts regardless of what day it is. My own husband dealt with a phone all yesterday because some phone lines for a hospital had gone down.
Whilst it would be nice to be able to give everyone that time off, unfortunately there’s always something requiring attention. I would suggest if you don’t like the hours required, don’t go into that line of work.

Emeraldshamrock no such law here in Wales (or England) unfortunately.

Quick question to ask about closing retail units over the break is "does the internet close?"

Sadly this means you can't close bricks and mortar retail either.

Okay fair enough point taken, to say 2 Jan probably was a bit unrealistic! Anyway, onwards and upwards [santa]

I work retail and am looking forward to working. I love my family but I also like a break from them. Plus, best to get the large amount of returns done now than have to deal with it later, and having to remind people they can only get storl

@FenellaMaxwell ah ok thanks.

I don’t get any extra for working today, it’s just a normal day. We had to open earlier than usual too so feels even less like a “public holiday “

What I find particularly unfair is because some people get their families or hate Christmas other people who don’t hate them are forced to work (there are not enough people wanting to work holidays to rely on people volunteering for it).

Plus if being at work is easier... well duh! Of course it is unless you have a very difficult job if you have young children or caring responsibilities. Doesn’t mean you should get to go to work for a rest while others have to hold the fort at home.

Again, doesn’t apply to essential industries.

Ridiculous idea (& I work in retail).

My DH has to have enforced holiday between Christmas and New Year as his company closes down (although he works from home ). He doesn’t want to take holiday at this time of year, usually poor weather so can’t get out and about much and yet has to use 3-4 days of annual leave. Not everybody has family to spend time with (or want to ).

I remember when a lot of the shops used to be closed between christmas and new years.

Sporting events I also think are inappropriate on Boxing Day

Boxing day in Australia means the boxing day test in cricket. 70.000 plus through gates of the MCG and millions watching at home don't see it as inappropriate.
We would be so bored as a nation with no boxing day test.

Double pay?! You've got to be joking. I work in retail and it's normal pay every single bank holiday and you have to work them too.

I worked for Arcadia, bank holidays were standard pay but Christmas/New years were specifically double the hourly rate.