They don't have to be mutually exclusive of each other. However, in the grand scheme of things, the complaints over working a holiday in retail versus a factory worker doing HARD labor and living in what we would deplorable conditions makes me roll my eyes.
All jobs have aspects that we hate. If you hate the whole job either find something you can like about it or make a plan to change your job or career path.
Yes, but someone always has it way worse. It may be eye roll worthy toyou,but I just isn't to me. We can agree to disagree though.
My SIL works for Walmart, she has been looking for a job for months to no avail. It isn't that easy. People aren't complaining about working on some random minor holiday here.
So, if I bitch about my job, are you going to tell me to think of Chinese factory workers?
They don't have to be mutually exclusive of each other. However, in the grand scheme of things, the complaints over working a holiday in retail versus a factory worker doing HARD labor and living in what we would deplorable conditions makes me roll my eyes.
All jobs have aspects that we hate. If you hate the whole job either find something you can like about it or make a plan to change your job or career path.
Yes, but someone always has it way worse. It may be eye roll worthy too you,but I just isn't to me. We can agree to disagree though.
My SIL works for Walmart, she has been looking for a job for months to know avail. It isn't that easy. People aren't complaining about working on some random minor holiday here.
So, if I bitch about my job, are you going to tell me to think of Chinese factory workers?
It's just another,valid, perspective that was lacking from the discussion.
Yes, but someone always has it way worse. It may be eye roll worthy too you,but I just isn't to me. We can agree to disagree though.
My SIL works for Walmart, she has been looking for a job for months to know avail. It isn't that easy. People aren't complaining about working on some random minor holiday here.
So, if I bitch about my job, are you going to tell me to think of Chinese factory workers?
It's just another,valid, perspective that was lacking from the discussion.
Post by dixeedeluxe on Nov 29, 2013 19:21:13 GMT -5
I'm not sure how many people who worked (retail) yesterday are THAT upset about it. I really only know one person and she's a 60 year old soon to be grandmother who is retired from her job as a hairdresser and Targ is her 2nd career and she didn't complain at all. The cashier who I talked to who was also in her 50s was all "meh".
So I'd really like to know someone from our generation (parents with young children) are really miffed that the needed to work yesterday (or today).
I really can't take college-aged/early 20something complaints the same way I'd take working parent complaints. Sorry, but....
FWIW, I took a vacation day today. It was a working day for me. It was a furlough (unpaid) day for MD state workers.
C25K...it works Seaside 5K...........40:45(2012) Turkey Trot..........41:30(2012)/37:08(2013)/37:40(2014) St Pat's 5K..........39:27(2013)/38:48(2014)/35:12(2015) Belair Town Run......38:09(2013)/36:27(2014) Back To Football 5K..37:36(2013)/43:44(2015) Balt Run Fest 5K.....34:59(2013)/41:50(2014)/35:54(2015)
C25K...it works Seaside 5K...........40:45(2012) Turkey Trot..........41:30(2012)/37:08(2013)/37:40(2014) St Pat's 5K..........39:27(2013)/38:48(2014)/35:12(2015) Belair Town Run......38:09(2013)/36:27(2014) Back To Football 5K..37:36(2013)/43:44(2015) Balt Run Fest 5K.....34:59(2013)/41:50(2014)/35:54(2015)
I get your perspective and it is valid but the context the original post was in terms of complaining about long hours and having to work on holidays/Black Friday, which is what I was speaking to.
Job mobility has become difficult in our economy across a huge spectrum of fields and wage earners. Hopefully, our economy will pick up at some point and this won't be as much of an issue.
I'm not sure how many people who worked (retail) yesterday are THAT upset about it. I really only know one person and she's a 60 year old soon to be grandmother who is retired from her job as a hairdresser and Targ is her 2nd career and she didn't complain at all. The cashier who I talked to who was also in her 50s was all "meh".
So I'd really like to know someone from our generation (parents with young children) are really miffed that the needed to work yesterday (or today).
I really can't take college-aged/early 20something complaints the same way I'd take working parent complaints. Sorry, but....
FWIW, I took a vacation day today. It was a working day for me. It was a furlough (unpaid) day for MD state workers.
My husband had to work yesterday and it pissed me off. Is that good enough?
Post by browneyedhunni85 on Nov 29, 2013 20:09:24 GMT -5
I really don't feel sorry for people working holidays. I think most people should just be happy to have a job. There are pros and cons to every job. My husband would gladly work holidays. He just wants a job.
I really don't feel sorry for people working holidays. I think most people should just be happy to have a job. There are pros and cons to every job. My husband would gladly work holidays. He just wants a job.
I really don't feel sorry for people working holidays. I think most people should just be happy to have a job. There are pros and cons to every job. My husband would gladly work holidays. He just wants a job.
Would he take a job in retail for $8/hr though?
Min wage is less than that isn't it? Yeah, I call bullshit that her husband would gladly work holidays.
I really don't feel sorry for people working holidays. I think most people should just be happy to have a job. There are pros and cons to every job. My husband would gladly work holidays. He just wants a job.
There are plenty of seasonal retail jobs with working holidays.
I worked for a company w low morale/high turnover and I feel like it is really easy to make employees happy. We were constantly getting yelled at for making little mistakes but nobody appreciated us working long hours nights and weekends to get the job done. Nobody ever said nice work and it was near impossible to get promoted. Yet we had company president telling us that we've had the last 2 years the highest profit in the company's history, and you're still laying off people. Everyone is scared that they're going to lose their jobs all the time. I'm a little bitter but I just don't get it. The company is making record profit and you can't afford to pay a few people's salary?
Post by spaghetticat on Nov 29, 2013 21:15:46 GMT -5
I hate pissing contests of all kinds. I think it sucks that retail workers have to work on big holidays if they don't want to. I don't think being happy you have a job and being someone's bitch are mutually exclusive.
I am happy I have a job. I have a very nice job with nice people and I make a good wage to sit all day.
I still want more money though and will be pissed if they don't give it to me. Even though there are plenty of people who work hard, physical jobs to take home half or less what I do. Their situations don't change my situation. I want more money. MOAR
Sorry to quote quotes, my left hand can only do so much.
Hahahaha.
I'm so so immature.
Clearly we should just go back to colonial American policy of punishing anyone who worked on a thanksgiving, fast, or sabbath day.
Also, yall sound like a bunch of 1850's democrats*. They argued that wage labor was awful because it took away choice from the worker. They called it wage slavery.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party won that particular battle. They loved wage labor. They saw it as the most democratic form of employment.
*party names do not reflect modern poltical parties.
I think everyone should be allowed to complain about their relatively sucky situation. It doesn't matter if a bunch of people are doing far worse, how does that affect the mom who can't spend thanksgiving with her kids. Just because I make x and most people don't make that much doesn't change the cost of daycare or my mortgage.
So it's silly to say we should all "just be happy to have jobs" because yeah.. You can be happy to have a job AND you can be pissed about job related things like hours or pay or vacation or shitty co workers or any number of things.
Heck I'm glad I have a kid but I complain about her all the time!
I think everyone should be allowed to complain about their relatively sucky situation. It doesn't matter if a bunch of people are doing far worse, how does that affect the mom who can't spend thanksgiving with her kids. Just because I make x and most people don't make that much doesn't change the cost of daycare or my mortgage.
So it's silly to say we should all "just be happy to have jobs" because yeah.. You can be happy to have a job AND you can be pissed about job related things like hours or pay or vacation or shitty co workers or any number of things.
Heck I'm glad I have a kid but I complain about her all the time!
This.
It sucks that my sister is stuck at home while our family is elsewhere because she had to work today. Yes I think she can complain about it because she missed out on a trip to see extended family. It also sucks that the "common" workers wage is basically stuck and the high workers wage keeps going up. I think minimum wage workers can complain about that.
I really don't feel sorry for people working holidays. I think most people should just be happy to have a job. There are pros and cons to every job. My husband would gladly work holidays. He just wants a job.
I hate this argument too. Bootstraps!! I will say I think it is bullshit that restaurants and gas stations are also open on holidays. People can make a fucking sandwich or eat cereal. Not all stores were always open on Thanksgiving. This is a very recent change. I mean no one disagrees that teachers deserve summers off so if this changed all over and teachers were complaining would people say GTFOver it? Not likely. Retail workers, restaurant workers, and others deserve a day off. As far as I know not every nurse/doctor/police officer works on Thanksgiving. And their schedule usually rotates yearly. So yeah, just my two cents.
We have gone many a year without having any holidays together. Not all police officers get holidays off or get to rotate.
I don't think retail stores should be open on Thanksgiving. I refuse to shop for gifts on Thanksgiving Day. I won't lie that the times I have forgot a can of Cream of Mushroom or a box of butter I've been grateful the grocery stores were open in the morning. ) Ours closes at 12:30.
I think everyone should be allowed to complain about their relatively sucky situation. It doesn't matter if a bunch of people are doing far worse, how does that affect the mom who can't spend thanksgiving with her kids. Just because I make x and most people don't make that much doesn't change the cost of daycare or my mortgage.
So it's silly to say we should all "just be happy to have jobs" because yeah.. You can be happy to have a job AND you can be pissed about job related things like hours or pay or vacation or shitty co workers or any number of things.
Heck I'm glad I have a kid but I complain about her all the time!
No one said don't complain, just don't do so on the grounds that holiday retail shifts constitute unfair labor practices and expect to be taken seriously.
I think everyone should be allowed to complain about their relatively sucky situation. It doesn't matter if a bunch of people are doing far worse, how does that affect the mom who can't spend thanksgiving with her kids. Just because I make x and most people don't make that much doesn't change the cost of daycare or my mortgage.
So it's silly to say we should all "just be happy to have jobs" because yeah.. You can be happy to have a job AND you can be pissed about job related things like hours or pay or vacation or shitty co workers or any number of things.
Heck I'm glad I have a kid but I complain about her all the time!
No one said don't complain, just don't do so on the grounds that holiday retail shifts constitute unfair labor practices and expect to be taken seriously.
My point certainly is not that any of this constitutes unfair labor practices. Mostly it's just kind of shitty for Walmart/ Target/Bestbuy to not give their employees enough time to enjoy Thanksgving with their families. I'm sure they would still make money hand over fist if they waited until Midnight to start selling their $5 hand warmers.
I wouldn't even really care if the stores were staffed with people who volunteered to work, but we know that's not the case.
I have more of a problem with stores opening at 6 on Thanksgiving day. What happened to the traditional black Friday shopping?
But you said last night you have no problem with retail workers working on holidays. You said they should be happy to have a job and even your husband would be happy to work holidays.
I have more of a problem with stores opening at 6 on Thanksgiving day. What happened to the traditional black Friday shopping?
But you said last night you have no problem with retail workers working on holidays. You said they should be happy to have a job and even your husband would be happy to work holidays.
Post by dixeedeluxe on Nov 30, 2013 9:26:35 GMT -5
We invited 3 police officers to drop by our family meal to eat with us One just ate mashed potatoes. But SO MANY MASHED POTATOES.
Yeah, the way I hear complaints, it's like workers were not being compensated for working. They are. If you think that wage is unfair is a different issue.
My dad works at a local family-owned grocery store. They run an ad saying they are closed on Thanksgiving so employees can enjoy time with their families. I feel like that is just as much an advertisement for the company as being open. Oddly, they are one of the only non-union stores in our area.(Mars, for those who know MD).
I worked a local family-owned department store and we all got OT on BF. It was the ONLY time anyone in the store was eligible for OT.
Hm, maybe the moral of the story is to shop local.
Another funny thing I'm seeing on FB is people who are so angry that stores are open on Thanksgiving, but they are kind of bragging about buying online. Uh, computers need people behind them to work. Shopping online probably means there are systems people making sure websites don't crash.
C25K...it works Seaside 5K...........40:45(2012) Turkey Trot..........41:30(2012)/37:08(2013)/37:40(2014) St Pat's 5K..........39:27(2013)/38:48(2014)/35:12(2015) Belair Town Run......38:09(2013)/36:27(2014) Back To Football 5K..37:36(2013)/43:44(2015) Balt Run Fest 5K.....34:59(2013)/41:50(2014)/35:54(2015)
We invited 3 police officers to drop by our family meal to eat with us One just ate mashed potatoes. But SO MANY MASHED POTATOES.
Yeah, the way I hear complaints, it's like workers were not being compensated for working. They are. If you think that wage is unfair is a different issue.
My dad works at a local family-owned grocery store. They run an ad saying they are closed on Thanksgiving so employees can enjoy time with their families. I feel like that is just as much an advertisement for the company as being open. Oddly, they are one of the only non-union stores in our area.(Mars, for those who know MD).
I worked a local family-owned department store and we all got OT on BF. It was the ONLY time anyone in the store was eligible for OT.
Hm, maybe the moral of the story is to shop local.
Another funny thing I'm seeing on FB is people who are so angry that stores are open on Thanksgiving, but they are kind of bragging about buying online. Uh, computers need people behind them to work. Shopping online probably means there are systems people making sure websites don't crash.
I am not complaining about black Friday. In fact, I actually like the idea of black Friday and if I could get my ass out of bed early enough and had the money, I would shop those sales. 4am, 5am, that's fine for me. Just not on Thanksgiving.
I don't know a ton about websites, but I think for them to make any money, they need to be pretty self sufficient without a lot of human intervention. There are maybe a couple people on call in case something crazy happens but I don't think it's likely that Amazon needs 150 people there on Thanksgiving.
150 is the number of employees my local news said was working at our local Target on Thanksgiving. That is that store's entire workforce! No volunteering there.