To say ‘well done’ to the bosses of M&S, Waitrose, Lidl & Aldi

[MargaritaThyme]

For deciding not to open their stores on Boxing Day, thereby giving their staff, who have been working very hard through December, a proper break with their loved ones?

Sounds like you’ll have a lot.

No, not really @Adastra23, except for a few more wine bottles. All present buying was completed well before Christmas, so there will be very little cardboard. We aren't entertain ing anyone so we aren't using any more items that would create extra waste. We re-use the same gift bags and labels every year, we have a compost heap, very little of our waste goes into landfill.

I have just read that back and it makes me sound so self righteous

DD worked in retail during her gap year and had to work on Boxing Day, cue me having to take her and collect her from work as there was no public transport.

You do know that a lot of people that post on MN are probably shareholders of some company or another, reaping the benefits.

They are probably not opening because they don't make enough money on those days to cover their costs anyway. Plus it's a good PR exercise.

@RampantIvy driving our children too and from work is the least we can do. It’s how we help their transition from child to adult. It’s fortunate that your DD had such a strong work ethic. She might still be lolling around at home if she hadn’t. Gap year into huge gaps in her life.

*NonSequentialRhubarb · Today 07:12

I hope no one in here saying how great it is that the shops are shut will be doing any online shopping that day. If you are, you're at best dim*

Know someone who runs an eBay business and Christmas Day is one of their biggest sales days

Gap year into huge gaps in her life.

I am being thick here as I'm not sure what you mean by this

DD has a very strong work ethic, hopefully because we model it. She has worked late this week to put prescriptions up because she didn't want to let patients down. No-one asked her to.

Yeah this, anticipated footfall will not be worth it for them. We used to open on Christmas Day if people volunteered to work it.

Closing extra days over Christmas, especially for the big companies, will mean additional massive food waste

You are mistaken. I don't ever go to supermarkets on Sundays or fill up with petrol then, either, but don't judge those who do. We all lead different lives. I don't boil up turkey bones, nor wait on my husband, either😅🤣😅. Happy Christmas!

I agree.
My student sons though will both be working Boxing Day and glad to do so.

Nothing special. It’s just ignorance from these people who virtue signal without knowing how industry and the economy works. Making themselves look a bit dim.

To everyone who’s said “Nobody needs to go shopping on Boxing Day”.

Unless you’re all telepathic, this is crap. Also, some of us enjoy shopping that day - I know, the horror of it!

That makes sense then. Because one person never ever ever ever goes to the supermarkets on a sunday, the shops should just not open on Sundays.

Yes, that makes total and complete sense.

Same here!

There used to be a half-day closing on Wednesdays, too - our butcher's still observes this.

(Spoiler alert: No one has died from black pudding deprivation)

I think Lidl is going to be open Boxing Day in some areas from 10-5pm.

I’m surprised by how many people cannot cope with the idea of shops being shut for two whole days, with several months notice given. Strange.

I was replying to the poster who said Boxing Day had to be taken out of annual leave.

In every office I've worked in if the office closes completely over Christmas until New Year, 2 days need to be saved from annual leave days in order to be off between Christmas and New Year.

But I've never worked anywhere, where Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2nd January (or the first 2 working days if those days fall on a weekend)weren't given on top of annual leave, not treated as part of annual leave.

Most people in my office are off from close of business on Friday 22nd and won't be back until Wednesday 3rd January. They only need to use 2 days annual leave for the 28th and 29th. The 27th was given as an extra day in lieu of not getting half days on the 22nd and 29th.

As I have already posted on this thread, I am.a warehouse worker who is getting the day off because the stores are shut. I would not have got paid more to work either.

Whoever raised the point about "privilege"- it never occurred to me that Boxing Day would have to be taken out of annual leave.

I've never worked anywhere, where public holidays weren't given on top of annual leave. My office recognises 9 Scottish public holidays plus our own firm public holiday which are in addition to the contracted annual leave.

Not ours. The stuff ordered after they shutdown the warehouse is packed up on 27th and arrives in store the next day.

It honestly amazes me that people still think time and a half or double time is normal in retail now

its not been the norm for years now

and has anyone said that hospitality staff don’t ‘deserve’ the time off? I may well have missed it so apologies if so

Well, you see, they worked (presumably part-time) in retail 25 years ago as a student and loved the money.

So this means that 55 year old Angie Jones, who works 6am-2pm so she can do school pick up for her grandchildren, really relishes hosting Christmas for kids and grandkids, and then going to bed at 8pm so she can be up for another day's picking and packing on the 26th.

She can just fit seeing the family around her shift, can't she? Just like she does every other sodding day of the year.

If I were going to a restaurant for Christmas dinner, you can be sure I'd be giving the staff hefty tips. Will Angie Jones get a tip? No she won't.

Did that sound a bit sarcastic? I hope so. Between being told that it's privileged and middle-class of me to want Boxing Day off and that real working class people want to work all the hours available, and being told we get over-time rates for bank holidays, I'm feeling a bit irked at this thread.

incoming sarcasm….

Why stop at shops though? I mean surely no one needs Boxing Day off at all right?? Let’s just not bother with any kind of Christmas break at all and everyone can just work as normal and take their a/l when they want

generally those ppl who love to go shopping on Boxing Day can only do so because - lucky them - their place of work is closed. Indulging this race to the bottom just means inevitably everyone will end up working Boxing Day because what’s the justification for offices & factories not being open if shops are?