Sainsbury Christmas opening

[elsiegee40]

It's not selfishness. We have a right to days off, but not specific days off.

 

There is no way the country would function, or ever has functioned in history, to the Dickens ideal family Christmas with everyone at home together for the whole day and nobody working.

 

Some of those who work in the festive period don't celebrate Christmas anyway. Many do, including my brother in law who will be at work in the blood chemistry department of the hospital where he works.

 

People who work for employers open over Christmas are aware of this. It would be lovely for everyone to have 2 days off at Christmas and one day off every Sunday, but it never has worked like that and never will.

 

What we can do is make a point of being particularly nice to those working when we aren't ... especially at Christmas. Even on a sunny Tuesday in May there's probably someone wishing they were at home with their kids

Edited December 23, 2015 by elsiegee40

[Seb1780]

There is no way the country would function, or ever has functioned in history, to the Dickens ideal family Christmas with everyone at home together for the whole day and nobody working.

 

But even in Dickens' time the poulterers and the cabbies worked on Christmas Day

 

`What’s to-day.’ cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

 

`Eh.’ returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

`What’s to-day, my fine fellow.’ said Scrooge.

`To-day.’ replied the boy. `Why, Christmas Day.’

`It’s Christmas Day.’ said Scrooge to himself. `I haven’t missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow.’

`Hallo.’ returned the boy.

`Do you know the Poulterer’s, in the next street but one, at the corner.’ Scrooge inquired.

`I should hope I did,’ replied the lad.

`An intelligent boy.’ said Scrooge. `A remarkable boy. Do you know whether they’ve sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there -- Not the little prize Turkey: the big one.’

`What, the one as big as me.’ returned the boy.

`What a delightful boy.’ said Scrooge. `It’s a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck.’

`It’s hanging there now,’ replied the boy.

`Is it.’ said Scrooge. `Go and buy it.’

`Walk-er.’ exclaimed the boy.

`No, no,’ said Scrooge, `I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here, that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the man, and I’ll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I’ll give you half-a-crown.’

The boy was off like a shot. He must have had a steady hand at a trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast.

`I’ll send it to Bon Cratchit’s.’ whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands, and splitting with a laugh. `He shan’t know who sends it. It’s twice the size of Tiny Tim. Joe Miller never made such a joke as sending it to Bob’s will be.’

The hand in which he wrote the address was not a steady one, but write it he did, somehow, and went down-stairs to open the street door, ready for the coming of the poulterer’s man. As he stood there, waiting his arrival, the knocker caught his eye.

`I shall love it, as long as I live.’ cried Scrooge, patting it with his hand. `I scarcely ever looked at it before. What an honest expression it has in its face. It’s a wonderful knocker. -- Here’s the Turkey. Hallo. Whoop. How are you. Merry Christmas.’

It was a Turkey. He never could have stood upon his legs, that bird. He would have snapped them short off in a minute, like sticks of sealing-wax.

`Why, it’s impossible to carry that to Camden Town,’ said Scrooge. `You must have a cab.’

The chuckle with which he said this, and the chuckle with which he paid for the Turkey, and the chuckle with which he paid for the cab, and the chuckle with which he recompensed the boy, were only to be exceeded by the chuckle with which he sat down breathless in his chair again, and chuckled till he cried.

 

Merry Christmas

 

A Christmas Carol - Stave 5: The End of It (by Charles Dickens)

[SpuffMonkey]

I can't believe people are so selfish about other people having time off. If you have kids when are you supposed to see them and have quality time with them?

 

I couldn't agree more - my Mum was a shop worker and without a Sunday close, we would never have seen her or she us, I'm not at all religious, but I feel strongly that there should be some space in our lives that isn't ruled by work and buying things.

 

Nobody "needs" 24/7 opening - it may be more convenient to some people, but that's not a need, and I'm not at all convinced that it brings more money into shops - it would if you were open and all your competitors were closed, but not if you're all following the same hours - you can only spend your cash once.

[sidewinder]

I can't believe people are so selfish about other people having time off. If you have kids when are you supposed to see them and have quality time with them?

 

Look, we and everyone else working non essential office jobs are lucky to be able to have time off over Christmas, I'll admit that. And it does suck that some people have to work over it, but as mentioned the country would fall apart if NO-ONE worked over Christmas. Everyone (well almost) in retail gets Christmas Day off, it's the police, power workers, railway engineers etc who do have it bad but then they are presumably compensated for it

[HarryMonkey]

My Dad worked in the prison service for many years and once us kids had got that bit older he always offered to work Christmas Day so that the ones with young families could have the day off.

[halbaradkenafin]

Personally I'd happily work Christmas day, it's not something I'm particularly bothered about as I'm not religious and don't have children. There are young children in my family but I can easily get presents to them (thanks Amazon) and visiting them is pretty easy if I do want to see them.

[DrCheese]

This year they are opening on Boxing day

 

Like... pretty much every other retail organisation since year.. dot? As long as people are paid at a higher rate than normal rate (i.e bank holiday rate) then there's nadda wrong with it.