The retail business is trying to roll the clock back to that era. And the mobs that push in on the doors earlier and earlier are enabling them to do so.
'This year, the more than 1 million Walmart workers staffing the holiday are “really excited to work that day,” Mac Naughton said on the call. Walmart employees who work Thanksgiving will get paid extra for their services and get a 25 percent discount on any one transaction Dec. 5 and 6. They’ll also get “a nice Thanksgiving dinner at work,” Mac Naughton said. “We appreciate each of our associates and the time that they dedicate.”'
Yeah. "Really excited." I can, perhaps, believe it — given how low Walmart wages are normally, so that the opportunity to scrabble a bit more money is "exciting."
Anyone over at my house for Thanksgiving who decides to run out to the stores that evening will be mocked. And miss dessert.
(h/t +George Wiman)
Walmart Confirms It Will Also Be Ruining Thanksgiving
You know, I was required to work every major holiday when I was at Disneyland. They didn't make a secret that it was a requirement when taking the job, and we did get holiday pay and special pins for working that day, plus each location would usually try to provide food. But whenever a guest would say something like, "Oh, they're making you work a holiday? How terrible," I always wanted to respond with, "Yeah, because you're here, asshole." They're by far the busiest days of the year, because about 100,000 people all think that no one would possibly want to go to a theme park today.
Just decided to cancel my dinner for 10. Would much rather go to Walmart – NOT
There actually was a time when Christmas week was a relatively slow week at Disneyland, but today it's the exactly opposite.
It's tough, because, yeah, I want to be able to run to the store at the last minute to pick something up for dinner. We can't actually shut everything down on a holiday (cf. the recent thread I had about turning elections into a national holiday). But I do kind of wish that companies weren't encroaching (at, yes, the behest of some consumers) further into the idea of rest and a common occasion to do it.
I suspect Jackie and I will bear up under the strain. 😛 Although I would rather give Walmart a miss…
@DeAnna Sigh.
You adapt, though. Like, when my brother worked at a movie theater in high school, he had to work Thanksgiving. He had a day shift, so we had to hold off on dinner until he got home. Disney people would generally move the family celebration to either before or after the shift. (Although you were kind of boned if you had a mid shift.) But then, it was the kind of job where your coworkers became your family, even if you did have family in the area (which a lot of us didn't). So turkey in the break room pretty much was your celebration. Insane as it could be, I do have some fond memories.
Why blame the stores? They're there to make money , so if people are knocking down the doors to hand it to them, why not?
I find it interesting how we never hear about movie theaters "ruining Christmas/Thanksgiving". That's been going on forever, but I guess since it doesn't fit into the "evil corporation" talking point, it doesn't count.
When you work retail, you know what you're getting into. When you work a job, you work a job….it's not always "fair" and it's not always "fun", but life rarely is.
+Mark Means I think a business can make a principled decision that is motivated by something other than immediate profit on this week's balance sheet.
I also noted (multiple times above) that this is being driven by customers apparently eager to spend their money. Without that demand, Walmart, et al., would not be asking employees to come in to work for a 6 p.m. opening.
I think I also suggested in a comment below that that it's not black and white, not just retail (e.g., being able to run down to the supermarket to buy some stuffing mix).
My concern is more where there's further encroachment on what has been traditionally considered a time to celebrate with friends and family — and still is, except for a growing number of folks, working retail, who can't because Suzie wants to save $20 on a big screen TV for Christmas and Walmart wants to be sure she spends that money with them..
No, life is neither, of necessity, fair nor fun. But that doesn't mean we oughtn't avoid making it less so.
+Dave Hill My criticisms were directed at the HuffPo story, not your comments.
To expect, though, the retail business to have any other motivation than to make money just isn't very realistic, in my view.
Don't want to work the holidays?
Don't work retail.
If that's the only job you can get……then get used to working wonky hours/holidays.
I do get really annoyed at being totally screwed if I need to go to the grocery store on a holiday. I mean, come on, you must have at least a couple of employees who don't celebrate it, right?
So now we can't blame stores for anything they do as long as it's to make money? And anything that isn't "fair" or "fun" has to be accepted? We're not allowed to have and express opinions because life is rarely fair? For a guy who insists on airing his opinions, +Mark Means, you're pretty intolerant of others who would like to exercise that right.
You know, people "choose" to work in retail when nobody will hire them for a cushy job with paid vacations, sick leave, health insurance, a pension, and all those things that other people take for granted. You know what you're getting into, but it's not because it's what you want. But since that doesn't fit into the "benevolent, loving, maternal corporation" talking point, it doesn't count.
You can do/blame whomever/whatever you like, +Scott Randel , that doesn't make the fact of businesses being in business to make money any less of a fact.
They hire people to work for them, not to make sure they get holidays off.
Who said you couldn't have/express an opinion? You've lost me there.
Oh, and guess what…..I've had both retail and "cushy" jobs and, you know what? The "cushy" (by your definition) job wasn't much better than retail in many aspects.
All stories, like the above, serve to do is attempt to vilify big business under the guise of compassion.
You've convinced me. If we agree to work for somebody, we agree to put up with any conditions they want to impose on us. Imagine people blaming the Triangle Shirtwaist Company for locking employees in a firetrap. They were only trying to make money! Passing laws against things like that and hiring children to work in coal mines does nothing but hobble businesses that could be making an extra couple of percentage points in profits if we weren't so selfish.
This country would be a much better place if we just let corporations hold public office. Get rid of the "guise of compassion" altogether. Put the almighty dollar in its rightful place, ahead of everything else, and America will be a land of prosperity for all!