Sorry ...but might it shock you that I worked retail for over 35 years? Small store, big store etc. I worked as cashier, a front end confidential, store manager, area manager, and distric sales manager...as far as I’m concerned you stick your REALIST greed elsewhere. Quite frankly I have been wondering when retail workers would finally get greedy about their family time. There is nothing on that store shelf that is more important than family.
There was a time when Wednesday night came and we shut it down...and told our employees to go home, have a good Thanksgiving and we’ll see you all bright and early Friday morning.
I am a realist and a company or manager needs to respect the worker. You want happy workers on your shopping experience? It sure isn’t going to be that one that had to start working tonight, missed the dessert, or had to try and find a babysitter.
Oh and when’s the last time you tipped your local Walmart worker, drug store clerk, or how about that Macy’s salesperson?
I’ve had family and friends in retail all my life, and did some time there myself. I know lots of people that have had to go to work late Thanksgiving to get things setup for Black Friday. Some were “lucky” to work for a store that kept them late Wednesday to get things setup, I mock the lucky because that generally means getting home from Wednesday’s work in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning, which really isn’t that great either.
You also have to keep in mind the character of Black Friday has changed dramatically in the last 15 years. It used to be an all day event with sales throughout stores. Now it’s a festival of doorbusters. Black Friday now is over 2 hours after doors open. Which is part of the push for the early openings. WalMart is following the lead of their biggest competitor, Target opened at 9PM last year and this year, WalMart opted for 8PM this year.
I don’t shop Black Friday, no matter when they start it. I have a life rule against working harder to spend money than I did to make it, and I don’t work very hard to make money. But I don’t object to Black Friday.
I just tipped a waitress $20 on a $35 bill. Thanksgiving dinner plans at my favorite restaurant got messed up, then we found one of our other favorites was open, delicious Mexican seafood to the rescue. Discussed the whole working Thanksgiving situation with the waitress, she volunteered. Turns out her family is a lot like my family and doesn’t consider a holiday complete until there’s been a screaming argument, so she opted out. Much like the wife and I, which is why we find a restaurant for Thanksgiving. Not everybody lives in a Norman Rockwell painting. And the ones that do, well they can plan around the work schedule. There’s no law that says you can only have magnificent feasts with your family on holidays.