Working on Christmas

[Shyla]

Around here, Giant is closed but WaWa was open. I don't know about most pharmacies. I assume the 24 hour pharmacies are open. The urgent care is open. Probably a few restaurants.

[Teefies2]

We were the only ones open, other than gas stations, from 8pm Thursday until 9am Friday morning. Our major competitor opened at 9am, which took some of the pressure off, but still nothing else was open all day.

AND I had someone go home sick both days. I spent this evening shift (3pm to 10pm tonight) with only 2 other employees. We were running 3 registers the entire shift. And, I'll admit, I got snippy with 4325th person that said "sorry you have to work today, that's terrible". I looked them straight in the eye while I was ringing up their sodas and candy and said "People are shopping today, or we wouldn't be open. If no one shopped on Christmas Day, we wouldn't have to work."

She smirked at me, but her husband/boyfriend/babydaddy (whatever he was) said "You're right. We shouldn't be shopping for anything except medical emergencies! Thank you so much for being open and I hope you get to enjoy a day off tomorrow or in the near future, so that you can have a Christmas with YOUR family too -shoots glares at the woman he was with-.

I wanted to kiss him!

[purple]

Friday/Saturday are my normal night audit days so knew I would be at work.

Partners fast food resturant was open but he got the day off cause so many people volunteered to work.

So we spent the day at home and then I came to work. All the guests I saw where in great moods so it was an easy shift. Plus I get time and a half and a paid day off to use whenever I want.

[WishfulSpirit]

I worked. As Antisocial said, hotels never close. I got a lot of "Merry Christmas"es and a few "so sorry you have to work" (I volunteered, the family isn't coming into town until Monday when I'm off anyway).

I did have to call the cops on a guest who could NOT understand that a debit card will be held for the entire amount of his stay, and was insisting that since he handed us cash at the desk (the next day, after he'd already been here one night) that he'd paid for two nights and was going to GET two nights (no, I refunded the card dingbat). If Karma has it in for me for some reason, can't I just get coal in my stocking or something?

As far as other businesses being open, Chinease and other Asian food is a classic go-to (the local Thai place apparently puts together a good spread), but the local Jewish deli was open as well. I got a cab from the light rail station so that my Night Audit coworker could get off early to put "santa's" gifts under the tree before her kids woke up. Most of the cab drivers around here are from eastern Africa, and I think they had their Muslim staff working that day (eastern Africa's main religions are Islam and Ethopian Orthodox Christianity, which -- fun fact -- is the only Christian church in Africa that predates colonialism).

[bainsidhe]

A local Chinese place and I think CVS was open. My sis works at McDs and they were extremely busy Christmas day. Apparently some of the fryers went down, and there's no service calls on Christmas. Fun fun.

[protege]

The railways don't shut down.

Yep, railroading is a 24/7/365 business. I knew one guy who usually worked the holidays...mostly because he'd make more money. He would celebrate Christmas on the 24th, and then spend the next day at the yard doing paperwork. He said that there usually weren't as many trains coming through, so he'd take a break now and then...and photograph locomotives

[Trixie]

Yesterday when I went to work one of the managers said we did almost as much in sales as we did on Christmas Eve. It doesn't matter too much to me, I don't spend holidays with family anyway. The cats don't know anything about holidays. It's nice to have some time off to celebrate something though.

I'm just glad that this year people were especially nice instead of assholes.

[taxguykarl]

A local cinema chain was open. We caught (and enjoyed) The Force Awakens on that day.

[Jay 2K Winger]

As Christmas was on Friday this year, I wasn't working (Fri and Sat are my days off), and I tend to make a point of not going out shopping or even to the movies on Christmas these days, because I don't believe in justifying corporate decisions to stay open on the holiday.

Didn't stop my sister from popping out to the grocery store to get some necessaries for some baking she was doing on Christmas Day, though.

[Catwoman2965]

My new downstairs neighbors, both flight attendants, I believe had to work. I'm pretty sure they did being that they are new, and have zero seniority. Since airlines fly 365 days a year, and I'm betting those who have seniority, have more of a chance of being off.

[bhskittykatt]

I was originally scheduled to work (which was fine by me) but traded shifts with a CW who wanted to have Christmas Eve off and work Christmas Day. We always have a big brunch banquet and show Christmas movies in our theatre and stuff, so it gets busy. Holidays are typically all-hands-on-deck at the resort.

I normally avoid going places during the holidays b/c it causes people to work, but this year I did go to the movies because it was healthier for me than staying home alone. They were PACKED...I'd never seen the parking lot that full! I went with a friend to see "Joy" but of course most people were there for Star Wars. I ended up having a much better Christmas than I anticipated and was grateful the theatre was open because it gave me something to do rather than mope around at home alone.

[WishfulSpirit]

Awww! Sorry you were by yourself KittyKat. I work at a hotel that is mostly business travelers so we weren't busy. Only 50% occupancy, which gave me more time to do a few special things for my guests (candy canes for minions, exc). We had our family gathering yesterday, and it was fun.