Shops/Businesses closing for the Queen's funeral

[roofingnovice]

I work for a major high street retailer and the management team are deciding if the business will close on Monday 19th for the funeral, AIBU to think that the business should close for the whole day?
I have a feeling they are waiting for another big high street name to announce their intentions first.

I think people are being very impatient with this, given it's the weekend.(I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about what I've seen in chat for my own place of work)

I suspect most places are waiting till the decision makers are back at work on Monday before they make a final decision and go public with it.

This MUST be the 10th thread on this same subject this weekend! 🙄

I think businesses will start to publicise their decision from tomorrow, a good indicator of which ones are almost certain to close will be those who closed on Friday to mark her death.

Totally up to them if they want to close.

I think as many places as possible should shut. It's a national day of mourning, not a day off to go shopping or to a theme park. But I also think staff should be paid.

As a small business owner, I'm open mouthed that it's been declared a bank holiday. We've already had to pay for one extra this year for the Jubilee.

I'd genuinely ove to know where the money to pay everyone for not working all day is to be gotten from........... can I shake a tree somewhere perhaps?

I am assuming it will be like Christmas Day on the 19th with regard to retail. It would be wrong to assume people that work in retail wouldn't want to watch the Queen's funeral. But that will also mean chaos at the shops at the weekend before.

Yes! Me too.

As if small businesses haven't struggled enough over the past few years.

Whatever they decide will make some people unhappy. My circumstances mean I really REALLY hope it's a bank holiday, in other circumstances i.e. small business owner I'd resent it.

As someone who works in a supermarket I would love it if we closed next Monday. A monarch's funeral is something almost nobody in our store has ever experienced before, and it would be nice to have the option to experience history in the making, or even just have a day off after a busy weekend (BH weekends are always busier than usual as people usually have events/parties and need to stock up on booze/food etc)

Other than Easter Sunday and Christmas Day we are open 7 days a week, 363 days a year. Boxing Day and New Year's Day are both optional but otherwise we don't get a choice about working Bank Holidays and we don't get any extra payment for working them (Double time only applies for Boxing Day/New Year, not for regular Bank Holidays).

We have to do so many BHs per year and the last for this year was the August one ... So now either the people who usually work Mondays get shafted and miss out on a bank holiday or other staff get pressured into agreeing to work it so the store can stay open. Management can't force anyone to work it if they have done their allocated BHs for the year but they will still try and guilt/pressure people into doing it, or will pressure people who haven't done their BH allocation (eg due to ill health/childcare issues etc) to cover the hours regardless of their other commitments.

I, for example, don't work Mondays but was off a lot of the early part of the year due to health issues and so I haven't fulfilled my BH quota for the year as I was on sick leave for a lot of them. So far my company hasn't confirmed if we are closing or staying open. I am dreading going into work this week because if they decide to stay open (or don't decide soon) then I know I am going to be getting pressure from supervisors and managers to come in next Monday which I do not want to have to deal with all week.

I think most shops and businesses will close otherwise they'll risk a massive backlash

I too work in retail, the only days we are shut are Christmas day, new year's Day and Easter Sunday. I'm desperately hoping we will be closed. It's a huge monumental day and I definitely want to be able to watch the funeral

With the funeral being at 11, could business have an extended lunch from 11-1 or similar timings for those who want to watch the funeral with the time made up on another day?
Not everybody wants to watch it.... the same as not everybody wants to watch a Royal Wedding/ football match etc

I thought it was up to each business if they stayed open or not. Unless have contracts saying you don't have to work Bank Holidays you can open as usual if you want.
May not be busy and your staff won't be happy but you don't have to close.

True, but schools will be closed so if businesses stay open it will put a lot of workers with young children in a difficult situation.

Exactly. Nursery is closed so we're just hoping one of mine or DH's offices closes. If not one will have to approve short-notice holiday!

I think it will depend a lot on if schools are closing. I or my dh would need to at best work from home, and very intermittently, if our dcs are at home.

There is no compulsion to mourn or watch the funeral. Many people will be glad of the chance to shop or have a nice day out. Beach cafes, for example, are likely to do good business if the weather is fine.

A nightmare for some working parents though, perhaps schools will be offering childcare for those that need it.

I would hope that if businesses open they allow staff to watch the funeral if they wish.

I think businesses should close. It's a national day of mourning and the bank holiday is to enable people to watch the funeral not to go shopping etc.

There will be plenty of opportunity to celebrate on the bank holiday for the coronation.

What is the OP supposed to do?
Scroll through every single post to make sure she doesn't write a post similar?

I was working in a high street store when Diana's funeral was televised and remember watching it at home so I would like to hope that high street stores would close for the Queen's funeral.

I also don't think a lot of people will be contractually covered by this either.

My contract says I'm allowed X amount of annual leave days and 8 bank Holidays per year. So technically, it's only out of the kindness of my employers heart (lol!) that we get the extra ones off.

For many it won't be a day of mourning.
I have no intention of watching the funeral and will be avoiding the news etc

I'm certainly not alone.

I think you are underestimating how many people will watch it though.

I think there will be very few shoppers during the funeral, so maybe shops could open later or close just during the funeral.

I run my own business (sole trader so no staff) and I'm closing - not because I'm a royalist but because all my clients will be off work anyway so it's pointless for me to remain open!