2013 Black Friday Openings

[Dreamstalker]

When our contract was up for renegotiation, there was rumblings about Corp wanting to do some funny business with paid holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two days we're closed; Christmas Eve day is holiday pay. IMO the day before Thanksgiving should be too (or at least combat pay for dealing with the ravening hordes who couldn't do their shopping the week before like normal people).

[Zellie Crescent]

As of 2 years ago there are no more holidays off for the people at my store unless you're one of the higher ups, according to corporate the 4th of July isn't a holiday and neither is thanksgiving. Christmas and Easter are half days although they're trying to change that, until 2 years ago we never used to be open on those holidays and "we should be thankful they aren't full days". As for what I'll tell people when they ask why I'm not at home with my family: I'm here because the people at corporate will be upset if they can't buy less than 10 boats a year while we struggle to make rent.

[Estil]

After 20 years as a retail slave, now that I am out of that world, I solemnly vow to NEVER patronize a store that would put their employees through that. I do not care if they have the LAST widget on my wish list in town, I just won't shop there.

My solidarity to the retail workers!

If enough people made that same decision this would never again be a problem.

[Estil]

And you know what the worst part is? We can't even call people/places who are open on Christmas "Scrooges"...because even frickin' SCROOGE gave Bob Cratchit a paid day off for Christmas!

[Cia]

I will be in Chamberlain this Thanksgiving, barring another snowmegedon, so there will be absolutely nothing to do and 99% of the stores will be closed. Black Friday will entail a visit to Al's Oasis which will essentially be it for shopping in that tiny town. And since the local Pepsi plant has finally gotten around to encrypting their wifi no internet will be available at my FIL's house. -cry- I just hope we get back home in time for me to attend the Thanksgiving weekend crafts show.

[anyanka2]

The news that former employer will be opening at 8 pm on Thanksgiving for Black Friday makes me so glad to be out of retail. I know they were following Macy's and Penney's lead, but I was surprised they did. I know last year at least at the location I worked at, they had problems having complete coverage for all shifts, including opening. I was training people for Black Friday on Tuesday and Wednesday night right before because the higher ups only started hiring for holiday help mid October. The downside to that was that the new people were still technically in their training period during Black Friday, which meant they didn't have to close or couldn't be scheduled by themselves. I thought that was complete BS and someone should have been held accountable for that. I ended up working a double shift opening and closing but I told them I would do it if I didn't have to work the rest of the weekend and got approval to use vacation time during Christmas and an extra weekend off during December. They were so desperate they agreed to every one of my conditions.

I work a 40 hour work week plus have a commute time of around 6 hours a week. I thought about going back and working for some extra spending money, but realized that I was too tired to even think about it. I don't plan on going shopping this year on Black Friday under any circumstances.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

JC Penney and Macy's are opening at 8 pm Thanksgiving.

So that is what I will mentally plan for.

[fireheart]

I'm very glad that my work actually shuts down for 2 weeks over Christmas. While we obviously don't run services during public holidays (Christmas and Boxing Day are among those), we shut down for Christmas and the following week.

[EricKei]

Glad to be out of Retail, too ^_^

If I were at a place that required TG work -- and, in my experience, that means mandatory appearance for everyone below Salary level (they get the day off, paid as a Holiday, of course -- I'd love to see it done the way Indigo's store had it. I'd volunteer for the early-morning shift like 6am-10 or something, as my family never gets around to eating until mid-afternoon, at the latest. It's just hanging around the house doing our best impressions of logs until then

[Indigo]

I used to work at Ames, (anybody remember that store?) and we were always open on Thanksgiving. They scheduled everyone, but everyone only had to work a 4 hour shift so they didn't miss too much of the holiday.

I remember Ames! I think my mom still has some stuff she bought there many many years ago.

I'm not in retail anymore, I shifted to convenience store/fast food but we've got a similar policy. Everyone works, but you only work 4 hours at time and a half, and they ask your preferences for what time of day. Last year I took the noon-4 shift that no one wanted because my family doesn't do dinner til 5 or 6 - got me out of all the prep work

[amazins20]

I used to work at Ames, (anybody remember that store?) and we were always open on Thanksgiving. They scheduled everyone, but everyone only had to work a 4 hour shift so they didn't miss too much of the holiday.

And Trixie, you're birthday is on Thanksgiving this year? Mine is too. Birthday twins!

[Sir Brewster]

After 20 years as a retail slave, now that I am out of that world, I solemnly vow to NEVER patronize a store that would put their employees through that. I do not care if they have the LAST widget on my wish list in town, I just won't shop there.

My solidarity to the retail workers!

[wagegoth]

I'm just waiting for the day some CEO says "Fuck it, let's just stay open on Thanksgiving".

You just know that's the next step.

Stupidity like that makes me thank God I don't work retail anymore.

There are already some that do.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

The swamp's been open on Thanksgiving at least as long as I've been employed there. It actually used to be a pretty big sales day.

Now with Black Friday creeping into Thanksgiving night, we're only open in the morning for 4 or 5 hours or so. Last year the store was closed for eight hours before the doorbusters started that night; I think it will be the same this year. But because I'm needed to all the setup work I'm probably not going to get Thanksgiving dinner anyway.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I remember the one year at the wholesale club that some Corporate Honcho decided "Let's be open on Thanksgiving Day! Reduced hours, closing at 6pm! Shoppers will like that!"

To the managers' credit, they did not arbitrarily schedule people that day. They looked for volunteers. There was extra pay involved, at least time-and-a-half.

They didn't get nearly as many takers as they wanted, though. One of them came to me and asked if I'd work on that day. I told them in no uncertain terms that I would not be working that day, since my usual evening shifts meant I rarely got the chance to eat dinner with my family.

The following year, the Corporate Honchos who came up with that bird-brained scheme were fired and replaced, and as long as I was working there, the store never opened on Thanksgiving Day again.