Do you want to change state law?

[Dreamstalker]

My state has Blue Laws; one of the provisions is that stores are to close at 9PM on Sundays (that may also be a town thing). I don't have an issue with that. The overnight crew gets twitchy if they can't start on time.

I heard a rumor last night that Corporate wants to have us stay open until 10 on Sundays (manager AN was not happy). I suspect that the reasoning is because there are 'customers waiting outside past closing'. All this would do is shift the confused crowds to 9:58 as opposed to 8:58 (and the vicious circle begins); I know there are always people who just wait until the last minute to feel powerful over the worker bees.

Yes, it's more money for the store (and at time-and-a-half more money for me) if it happens, but...another example of 'customer service' gone bad. Lack of planning (accidental or otherwise) by idiots is NOT our problem.

[PepperElf]

wait... what?

So your local laws dictate "close at 9pm" but corporate says "no, close at 10!"

blue or not, all it would take would be an anon call to the local county clerk to get them in trouble perhaps. unless all stores in the area also ignore it too.

[Dreamstalker]

Yup. The law (not sure whether it's state or town) says close at 9, corp wants to close at 10. Which would basically require repealing the blue laws.

I can't find an exact outline of the laws regarding operating hours, but IME stores have always closed at 9 on Sundays. Our town has an additional restriction regarding big rigs on the main street that day (none after 8 PM I think, that might have more to do with noise ordinances), so we get our deliveries in the late afternoon and the overnight crew must start stocking at 9 PM if they expect to get done by Monday opening (7 AM). A couple of my CW's live in areas that are only accessible by bus, so extending our hours may mean they get stranded; the Sunday public transit schedules are already sporadic at best.

Individual stores can get permit exemptions, but my understanding is that there needs to be a reason other than "we have SOME customers showing up past closing". We can be open for limited hours on some major holidays. I don't know if all stores can ignore it; two or three of ours in the state also sell liquor which is an even more restrictive set of Sunday laws.

[RangerJake72]

the blue laws were a fun thing. growing up in Mass, I remember grocery stores couldnt open until noon. most of the laws were under the control of the local police chief, though I think if enough citizens petitioned the chief, he could change the hours permitted

[Flying Grype]

I wonder how he thinks he'll keep it a secret that his store is open later than it's legal. Any law enforcement or city council types driving by would sort of, you know, see it.

[Dreamstalker]

What they might be hoping to do is file for an exemption, which from what I understand is not easy to obtain. I highly doubt one will be granted for just one store.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

Pretty glad MA only has two "blue" laws active anymore.

One is the "Day of Rest" (which doesn't have to fall on a Sunday) which requires all businesses to grant their employees one day off in a 7 day cycle.

The other is that Sunday is Time-and-a-half.

I wonder what the punishment is for breaking those laws though (the hours of operations one.) A fine? Sanctions? Bet'cha getting caught and fined is going to counter-act all the money they are going to make staying open an additional hour >.>