Topic: boxing day sales

[ACE]

RIGHT OR WRONG.

I am one of those that thinks its a holiday and the shop staff should be home having a break. After all, the money and the goods will still be there on tuesday.

 I reckon the shops are pushing people into the sales, although they state that they are doing it by popular demand.
I ain't got no rellies working in the shops so I don't really have an axe to grind, I just think it is a shame the people have to work. What's your view?

[tonybloke]

what's going on? here I am agreeing with you again!!
Totally Agree, shop staff should be at home with their families, not forced to work through the hols. ;)

[Froglegs]

And tram crew i had to work on Boxing day and for flat rate as well as NET don't recognize bank holidays  :'(

[kt.]

Its the day when OH returns with loads of shopping bags all with the word SALE SALE SALE across them.  When she walks in the door carrying them all she says she could of saved even more but ran out of money ::) ;D ;D ;D ::)

[Poppy Mole]

Totally agree shops should have stayed shut until Monday.
I can remember when I worked on the nursery that we always had to go in on Boxing day to cut daffodils & bending over was a serious problem for the poor old head!!!!

[emmy1978]

Yep, Ace, totally agree with you. My best friend was a shop manager until she quit for this reason. Xmas Eve she got away at 8.30 after having to clear the shop, restock for the sale, dress the window etc. Xmas day they wanted her to go in for 2 hrs to make sure everything ready for the scrum and then Boxing day she had to be in for 8am.
Crap.
And she says all sale stuff is the stuff from last year or at the very least the summer.   :P

[jimtheworzel]

ACEis spot on, worked all my life in shop work, customers treat you likesh*t.    i packed in at 55 and never looked back

jim the worzel

[Alex Rowe]

I think there is a line, working on Boxing day is fine in my opinion, but having to start at 6am (like one of my friends who works at Next had too) is beyond the line. Seems to me that half of the country is out shopping on Boxing day anyway. Christmas eve, Christmas day and New years day people shouldn't really be working in my opinion.

I'm also a true believer in Christmas bonuses too... no bonus no working on boxing day  ;D

- Alex

[Borlotti]

I agree and disagree.  We had our own business but didn't open after Xmas because we made and sold curtains and the busy time was before Xmas.  I have worked in a sports shop and a toy shop and loved every minute of it, especially before Xmas.  Do agree that pressure shouldn't be put on staff to work, but if people have a choice and need the money, why not.  Have spent a lot of time indoors, with the snow and cooking, and went to the allotment yesterday, but it was SO COLD.  If I had the choice to work for a few hours, and got paid I would go for it, but then I haven't got young children to look after.  Was asked to stay on in Pearsons, Enfield (where I worked as a temp six weeks up to Xmas), after Xmas for the sales many years ago but I had young children then, so said no, even though we could have done with the extra money.  Enjoyed my voluntary work in the cat charity shop, until it closed down, but we had so many volunteers that often I wasn't needed. :( :(

[cornykev]

No one should have to work, it should be your own choice, but people would still be pressured by management to do so.
But the people who are off work go into the pubs so there's still someone working when your off.
We work the Bank holidays ( not xmas, boxing or new years day )and if we didn't the pubs wouldn't get there beer.
What toy shop did you work in Borlotti.
 ;D ;D ;D

[caroline7758]

Just heard on the news that there is a campaign to change Sunday opening hours before next Christmas so that the Boxing Day sales won't be restricted! ::)

[macmac]

I worked  for a large supermarket when Sunday trading first started and I wouldn't work despite the double pay incentive,we didn't shop on a Sunday either but gradually I had to take my turn as I was middle management and there just weren't enough of us to cover.I've never had a problem on religious grounds but always saw Sunday as a family day.Now Sunday shopping is the norm and yes I do it sadly it won't be too many years before Christmas day will be just another shopping day.Re the choice thing in my experience staff are now engaged with contracts which include these "antisocial"hours and even if they aren't I've little doubt many bosses are very persuasive

[Borlotti]

Cornykev - worked in Murray and Brand, toy shop in Southgate probably before you were born and it isn't there anymore, and then a good many years ago in the toy department in Pearsons.

[PurpleHeather]

There was a time when Christmas day was the only day off any one ever got.  Most serfs either had to work the land or serve the master 24/7, half a day off every fortnight.

Years ago the postmen delivered on Christmas day even.

Now we have a lot of holidays by comparisom so it stands to reason that there will always be jobs that some have to work whilst others are not.

I felt sad for the waiters when we were in Morocco, they were there every day from 6 in the morning 10 am and again from 6 in the evening until the last meal was cleared away often after midnight. Some Brits were there on a three month stay and they said that the same waiters had been on every day during their stay. The hotel is open 12 months of the year too.

The same two receptionists were on duty every day on their 12 hour shifts and only the cleaners got one day off each week. On rotation.

In a lot of countries shops are open far longer than ours are, people work longer hours and have fewer breaks get paid a darn sight less too.

It would not surprise me if there was a change in the Sunday trading laws in the pipeline. They only opted for the short opening to get the law through to start with, it was always intended to alter it, in the future but the problem was there were so many staff on old fixed contract not to have to work on Sundays, or get double pay and a day off for working, they had to wait for them to retire.

Christmas day opening would be welcomed by loads of people I feel sure. There are always those who 'forgot something' . Then they will need the buses and trains to run too. It will go full circle....eventually. 








 



 

[Poppy Mole]

I think you are right - but it's still very sad

[Yorkshire Sam]

Where I used to work when the Sunday working first started, it was agreed by the management that no one would be made to work on a Sunday who did not want to...  It lasted for about 3 months  when they decided it wasnt fair that some people did work while others didnt, etc so for about 3 months those who worked on sunday got double time... this lasted for an even shorter period and sunday became just another working day without extra pay,  which was quickly followed by the same for bank holidays.  Exept of course for the senior management who never had to work any weekends.