Anyone else feel sad that the shops can't stay closed for more than 24 hours?

[snowypenguin]

Our sainsburys is open from 9 on Boxing Day. I really feel for the staff having to work. I don't suppose they have a choice. More so I feel for those who work at next.

I agree. Bank holidays should really be bank holidays for everyone.

There was a big long thread (possibly in AIBU?) about is.

But Boxing Day has always been a shopping day (I can remember the sales being such a big thing back in the 1960s and 1970s) .

Though of course, people in retail got a day off every Sunday then.

Not really
I'm working all over Christmas and new year.
We are always working in my job.
We never close.

I guess the flipside is that some people don't have much of a Christmas.

I'm 25. I'll be on my own. I tried to work but they aren't keen, so I'll be at home. I'll probably go out on Boxing Day if I can't work then either, because otherwise I'll be inside on my own for 48 hours.

I don't live in the uk, and there is no Boxing Day here, neither do you get days off in lieu, shops and offices will close around 4pm Christmas Eve, then everything is open as normal on the 26th.

Other people agree with you
Some people like to stuff their faces on boxing day
What about people in hotels, won't anyone think of them
Some people don't believe in God
Some people don't believe in Christmas
Some people don't believe in hospitals
Some people need the money
Some people get double time
Some people don't
Some people's children have to work and they are sad
Some people like a bargain
Some people need to buy more food on boxing day

I worked in retail for many years. There is no extra pay and the staff will have been pretty much forced to do it. Same with Sundays. I don't shop on Sundays or Bank holidays for that reason.

I was talking to a work friend last night, how boxing day was full of sales, now it seams sales are everywhere..

The big shops, yes. Our local Tesco Extra is also open from 9am on Boxing Day - is there really the need? I can see the merit of opening the Tesco Express, as the only shopping most people could contemplate doing on Boxing Day would be a pint of milk, extra bread, another vat of wine etc., but not the main supermarket. In this case Tesco Extra is a two minute walk from Tesco Express.

I must admit, I like the serenity of Christmas Eve evening & Christmas Day when all the shops are closed and very few people are rushing about. I work in Community Care, so do still have to be out & about at those times (well, not this year but usually) and the world just seems so peaceful.

There are a lot of jobs which require 24/7 cover nowadays - and working in care it's something I'm used to myself, so the element of staff needing to work doesn't really worry me too much. There's usually a trade off of some sort - work the 4am shift on Boxing Day but finish early on New Year's Eve for example.

I think all shops should be closed Christmas and Boxing Day. Most normal people would have stocked up a bit anyway and won't need any extra milk or bread. Plus I think it's a shame on the staff not to get a couple of days off, I'd hate to work Christmas Day, thankfully I've been lucky enough to never have had to.

I agree. I also feel for those who work in pubs and restaurants that serve Christmas dinner. A family member of mine is having to work Christmas Day. I've always said I will never go out to eat on Christmas Day, just seems wrong, and I like my Christmas dinner done the way I like it.

Local newsagent and also Nisa are both open in Christmas Day near me, think it's a real shame that we can't manage with shops being closed!

Yanbu.

What mrstrent said. I don't shop on boxing day and also do my best to avoid Sunday shopping. The staff often don't get extra pay and have no choice in what shifts they work.

I'll be done on weds 23rd and won't be shopping until Tuesday 29.

Me! Totally agree. I am so old that I remember when no shops were open on Sundays and lots of smaller high street shops were closed for a half day during the week. We always seem to manage perfectly fine when we go on holiday to countries where the shops close on Sundays.

I was in Next the other day and I wondered about the staff in there - why would you choose to work in Next when there is always the likelihood that you will be rostered to start work at something obscene like 6am on Boxing Day?

I worked more Christmases in retail than I care to remember. It's horrible. You finish at 6pm on Christmas Eve, get home at 7, and back at work by 7am or earlier on Boxing Day. It takes the shine off the celebrations when you don't get chance to relax - holiday was pretty much forbidden in Dec and Jan when I worked in retail, I would imagine it's still the same.

I worked in retail because I needed a job, it wasn't my first (or even second) career choice but if you need a job you need a job, You do what you need to do to pay the bills.

I've got to do my Tesco big shop on 22nd and bar the odd pint of milk/loaf of bread I won't be going in a shop until at least a week later.

I just can't stand the panic and greed in the shops, makes me feel quite sick!

Yes I agree sometimes you don't have a choice (ex retail worker also). Working over Christmas isn't nice but I guess that's the way it is nowadays. I do find it a shame though that we can't manage a day or two without needing to shop and that there are people who have no choice but to work in the jobs they do and potentially miss out on (what I think is) important family time as a result. Now I have dc's working in a retail or food/hospitality industry setting would be the last places on my list to work, knowing that when it comes to Christmas your chances of getting time off are pretty much zero. If I was really desperate for work then of course I would take any job, as most of us would.

I've also worked my fair share of Christmases. Retail (unnecessary) and care.

IMO all unnecessary businesses should be closed from midday Christmas eve until 9am 27 December.

Overseas mners what happens with Christmas or other big religious holidays where you are?

I also remember half day closing weds, early closing sats (yep even supermarkets were closed by 4), and closed Sundays. Everyone managed!

There are very few people needed to work on christmas day/Sundays. I'd restrict it to healthcare, emergency services, utility emergency repairs services. These days with DVD/Netflix/Spotify etc there's no need even for radio/TV to be on.

I think it's awful that staff in certain industries aren't guaranteed a day off each week and in fact are pressured to work when they maybe don't want to - and for no extra pay. No wonder families and communities in UK are falling apart they don't get to spend any time together!

I've also lived in Europe, it was like stepping back 20 years in time! High Street shops (baker, greengrocer etc) still valued, everything closed one afternoon a week and Sundays and early closing Saturdays. I loved it!

I live it SE Asia and nothing stays closed any day of the year. (Chinese New Year is a little quieter but you can still shop if you want to). It's a bit quieter than normal, but still when I look out of my window Christmas Day I see cars on the expressway, same as every other day.

Christmas Day and New Year's Day are the only actual public holidays in this block - Boxing Day isn't a thing. Good job it's a Saturday this year or I'd be at work as normal. It's all a bit weird, but lots of stuff here is!

I saw that the Odeon cinema is open on Christmas Day!!

Are you sure that's not a mistake?