Does anyone else hate that stores stay open on Labor day?

[Liberal Veteran]

I do. Every store that is open is someone (or more often many someones) who is basically being cheated out of a holiday in my opinion. I understand the need for required services (police, hospital, firemen) and on call services (power company and road clearing and tow trucks), but for the life of me I have never understood why people get up on Christmas morning and go shopping for a latte or go see movies on Thanksgiving.

I work in personal technical support and we were flooded with calls (although I personally had the day off), but it seems to me that people can do without email for a whole day and call in on the next business day.

That's why I always stay at home on most holidays (I usually don't on secretary's day or what I call "Hallmark creation holidays"). I don't like to contribute to what I see as devaluing holidays through unnecessary and frivolous capitalism and self-centeredness that tends to force other people to work when basically we could do without their services for one day once in awhile.

Okay, I'm climbing off my soapbox. Feel free to flame me. :)

[terryg11]

1. I do

I noticed not to many unionized shops open on Labor day

[kmla]

2. No flames here.

No, it doesn't bother me at all. I would knowingly stay away from stores that don't pay accepted holiday pay, though. (That would be double time - you should be paid for the holiday whether you work it or not).

And if you choose to stay home and not shop on the holiday - more power to ya. I do that sometimes myself. For some people, though, a holiday is a day of catching up on stuff that piles up when you work alot during the week and even on weekends...

[demnan]

3. It's allright with me that people work on holidays

however, I think they should get double pay. That way those who need the money badly can volunteer to work and switch days off with someone who doesn't.

Many people find that 3 day weekends are the only time they have a few extra hours to shop for household items. Also, many of the people working those jobs don't work a 40 hour week and aren't paid for holidays anyway, and taking away that day takes money away from them they can sorely afford to lose.

[kmla]

5. Wow -

Parallel thoughts. (see my post above)

Freaky, ain't it?

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. My former boss volunteered at a hospital every Christmas.

He was Jewish and figured he could push a gurney and let someone who celebrated the day enjoy it with family.

[meegbear]

6. Talking about that on Sunday ...

how it's nice to have supermarkets, etc. open, it must be a drag for those people who have to work.

When I was your age, if you needed hamburger rolls on a holiday, you went to the corner store, if it was open at all, and pay high price.

[Uroboros]

7. Well

...it does suck for the person who has to work on these days. But then that's part of the job and I'm sure they were told this before they took it. Mind you; I wouldn't want that job.

On the other hand I think most people expect services to be open on some holidays. People don't want to be home twiddling their thumbs on their days off. Most people probably don't spend their holidays at huge family gatherings like those Rockwell paintings. SO either you go out and do something on that day off (be it Christmas or Thanksgiving); or you sit on your ass at home watching TV.

More often then not I might doing the latter; but it's good to have the choice :)

But working on a holiday should get you overtime pay or an extra day off down the road.

[tokenlib]

8. There is a horrible trend...

Because of the growing number of retail establishments open on holidays--holidays themselves are becoming devalued. Just as the weekend has become devalued--no more premium pay for weekend work in many industries---holidays are next.

The growth of supercenter Wal-Marts and the like has caused traditional unionized grocery chains to seek additional holiday concessions from employees--for days once considered sacred--like Easter.

Anyone who sees the big picture of what is happening in our profit driven society--with a growing service sector dictated by irresponsible corporations---AGREES with you wholeheartedly.

I do my utmost to avoid patronizing these businesses on holidays. More of us need to do so--or we will all pay in the long run.

[Liberal Veteran]

9. Exactly my thoughts....

Between corporate greed and the "me first" attitude of our society (my example of the people getting lattes on Christmas morning), we are basically cheating the lowest paid people in our society out of those holidays and for what, convenience, selfishness? I just don't get it.

On edit: Is it really so bad to just stay home or visit family and friends on holidays?

[Skittles]

10. I don't have a family

and so I don't do the traditional stuff other people do on holidays. What is your beef? For the time being, many of the workers get holiday pay. Also, for my whole career I have always volunteered to work Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[Liberal Veteran]

11. What is my beef?

Messages like this one:

"We currently have a sign up sheet for those who wish to volunteer to work on Labor Day. Any slots not filled by close of business Tuesday will be assigned by Intraday based on seniority."

So yes, some people do volunteer to work on holidays, but others just get forced to work and I see it as unnecessary.

Essentially, it's that "me first" attitude that is a contribution to what I see as devaluing of holidays. We are already work harder and longer than most first world nations by comparison. Do we really need to continue to chip away at what little vacation and holiday time we have left?

[Skittles]

18. well, I get other days off

and I prefer them to the phony holiday stuff. And I am certainly NOT alone.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. And another thing...

I was inundated with telemarketing calls yesterday. I guess they're trying to get as many in as they can before the deadline hits. It turns my stomach to think they'll deny a holiday not only to their employees, but to those of us who are harassed by them. :grr:

[Liberal Veteran]

13. A-f**king-men!

I got 6 attempts by Sears to contact me yesterday, no doubt to sell me an extended warranty or credit card protection.

[Kamika]

14. Nope

My family earns alot on labour day :D

[Catherine Vincent]

15. Does'nt bother me.

Besides, I believe a lot of these establishments asks beforehand who wants to work on these holidays for double the pay. I'm sure most of the workers volunteer to work on the holidays.

I don't know about anyone else but christmas day is always weird to me. I believe in God and everything but when I drive from relative to relative, most places of business are closed. For some reason I get paranoid when this happens. It's like the world stops for that day.

[Garage Queen]

16. Labor Day? No. Fourth of July? YES.

It's our nation's BD, for cripe's sake, close the stores!

[Nikia]

17. I worked on my first out of college Labor Day

I was working part time at a fast food place. I also had a full time job. The fast food place schedulaed me to work 10 hours that day in addition to the eight hours on Saturday and Sunday. They didn't pay anything additional on that holiday or any other such as Easter and Thanksgiving. I suppose that I did get paid double in a way since I did receive holiday pay for my full time job while I worked at the restaurant.

[izzie]

19. You must be young.

Stores were shut on Sundays when I grew up and lots of other days.When we started to only care about money they started to stay open all the time.

[izzie]

20. You must be young.

Stores were shut on Sundays when I grew up and lots of other days.When we started to only care about money they started to stay open all the time.

[izzie]

21. You must be young.

Stores were shut on Sundays when I grew up and lots of other days.When we started to only care about money they started to stay open all the time.

[izzie]

22. You must be young.

Stores were shut on Sundays when I grew up and lots of other days.When we started to only care about money they started to stay open all the time.

[oustemnow]

23. you must be old

you managed to forget three times that you already posted this.

heh heh, just kidding.