to think it is good that supermarkets/express/garages are all closed christmas day

[WillowTit]

i am sure in previous years shops would open for a couple of hours
discovered that we dont have enough wine but apart from premium overpriced stores shops are shut
and major garages too
i have enough petrol,
we will manage without the extra wine
i am glad the shops are shut
aibu

So nearly 40% don't. That's rather substantial. Also these numbers are 14 years out of date.

it is supermarkets i am referring to

your response is very ott to a simple opinion

The corner shop across the road from my house would still be open 8am-9pm in a nuclear fallout. I’ve never known them to close for a single day. I love them.

What do you think, then?

You either think people are happy to work on Christmas Day. Or you know some aren’t, and don’t care.

My local garage is open 24/7
They have never closed, there was a robbery with a machete and they were still open..

Bit weird to be “glad” they’re shut really when bars, restaurants, doctors, nurses, cleaners, porters, police, firemen/women and loads of other workers will be in working on Christmas Day.

perhaps those have been working today will give their opinions later
i presume all the posters, myself included, are not working today, outside of the house that is

i am happy for staff, that is not weird

Dd worked yesterday as for lots of the Eastern European staff 24th is the big day

Well since this time of year is all about over indulgence and excessive consumerism I think those shops that do shut really undermine the Christmas spirit.

Being organised in advance is all well and good. What if you drop the milk though? Or you peel your potatoes to find they are a bit manky inside? Accidents happen. Things get forgotten.
Nobody is forced to use these establishments. They just give people a choice.

Circumstances vary, as I said. I don't think people should be forced to work on Christmas day in non emergency roles if they don't want to but I see nothing wrong with those services being open and people having the opportunity to work if they're happy to. Does that answer your question?

My local shop is open, I just popped in for batteries

It answers my question but I suppose my returning question is how can you possibly know everyone working in non emergency roles today is happy to do so?

You cannot know, as much as people might say ‘well X restaurant is open and the owners are happy to do so’ - yes sure but that doesn’t mean the staff necessarily are. And I’d bet a lot of the ones who are happy to do so will be doing so because of the additional money which is totally understandable but does make me feel a bit uncomfortable that we have a situation where the lowest paid are needing to work in order to bring their shit wages up to a reasonable level.

And even if you could absolutely guarantee everyone working Christmas Day is happy or at least feels neutral about it you cannot know if this then has a knock on effect on others. I’m having to take my brother to work later, he can’t drive, that’s OK, I don’t mind but it impacts on me. And this will be the case for many. I do think it is selfish to make others work today given that today and Easter Sunday are the only real days everything shuts down and increasingly that isn’t even true any more. Obviously we need emergency services; we don’t need catering or hospitality for one day.

We've got loads open round here

I don’t know. This mentality we are developing where we think we DESERVE Christmas off is starting to become a problem. My sister runs a busy hospital unit. 8 out of 22 staff called in sick yesterday.

She runs the type of unit where your medical need is always an emergency. If you are trained medical staff and have called in sick over the last couple of days just so you can be at home making memories or whatever BS your excuse is, you really are a POS.

Of course we don't know everyone's individual circumstances. Perhaps I should ask all the staff and management at the restaurant where I'm going for a curry in half an hour if they're happy to be working. 🙄

I was actually surprised how many garages with convenience stores attached were open this morning. One even had a Burger King in it open! I needed petrol and it was nice to go while it’s quiet and there was no queue!

When my ds or I worked, not in shop, the whole family would wait for us, so they all affected

Isn’t it your brother’s responsibility to sort his own way to work though? You are choosing to do this and you say you don’t mind, but seems like you actually do.

Catering and hospitality is needed for those who are travelling and working.

There will always be people who don’t want to work holidays and those that do and you can never guarantee people will get what they desire on either side. Saying that, many jobs say upfront that working holidays is a likelihood before people apply so if people really don’t want to work them, they need to either not apply for such jobs, tell the employer upfront if they have any already made plans,, talk to their colleagues in advanced to make arrangements and clear it with their bosses, or do it and try for a shift that is better for them.

That’s clearly different though @Thepurplepig , medical and emergency services have always had to work Christmas Day and that’s for glaringly obvious reasons!

However, I think that what I’ve noticed over my lifetime (i am 44) is that there’s been a gradual shift towards only totally necessary services being open to shops, petrol stations, cafes and so on.

It is none of my business what people do with their day and if everyone could 100% guarantee everyone working today is happy to do so, fine. But my feeling is a) you can’t know that and b) OK - but the more places open the more places open, so eventually we will have people working who don’t want to, who actually do feel the day is special but that’s taken from them. And that’s a shame.

Perhaps those shifts will need to pay more. We live in a capitalist society, which means the laws of supply and demand are more important than anyone's views about who ought to be working when. Seems like it would be in the general interest to work on practical solutions.

"Necessary" is subjective.

Those who never want to work Christmas Day can choose occupations where it's never necessary, or be self-employed.

Well yes, fair enough if you’re a nurse or firefighter, but I don't think serving behind the counter in the local Londis is the sort of role that you’d imagine you’d have to give Christmas Day up for!