Are you working Thanksgiving, 2014?

[ZLoth]

Yes, folks, it's the annual "are you working through the Thanksgiving holiday" thread, created partially out of response to the outcry that the "stores are open Thanksgiving, and the retail workers have to wwwooorrrkkk" stories. While I think that retail stores being on the US Thanksgiving Holiday is a bad idea, I think the general public forgets that there are people in hospitals, public safety, movie theaters, restaurants, hotels, broadcast stations, technical support, casinos, and such who also have to work the holiday.

So, if you are in the United States and are working the Thanksgiving holiday, give a shout out.

I'm working the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm in technical support, and my shift is 10 PM-7 AM Pacific Time. Since it is a normal business day in Europe, I will be working my normal shift the entire Thanksgiving week.

[froggie]

I'm on standby Thanksgiving morning.  Part of a college team that provides winter forecasts to VTrans.

As for folks who work the holidays, there's also the military.  Plenty of military folks both deployed and shore-based who will be working.  I've worked plenty of holidays in the past (for example, was on deployment 2 years ago, and had a duty shift the year before that).  I have 2 friends who are still active duty who are currently on deployment.

[jeffandnicole]

Don't forget football. Many of those that complain about people working Thanksgiving would also be complaining if there was no football to watch. Those games are staffed by hundreds of people, mostly working at or close to minimum wage.

As for me, it all depends on the weather forecast. If it snows Wednesday, more than likely I'll be working the plows either from midnight to noon or noon to midnight Thanksgiving. And there's no holiday rate; just the normal OT rate.

[Laura]

For me, the problem with stores being open on Thanksgiving is that they are non-essential. Hospitals, public safety, hotels, broadcast stations, the military are essential services.

Having stores open that day shows that we value things over people. Also, Thanksgiving started as a religious holiday but is now pretty much celebrated by all Americans, because who doesn't have something to be thankful for. We are ruining the opportunity for everyone to celebrate a national holiday so that we can buy more consumer goods that we don't need.

Also, seriously, I was at the mall yesterday, and stores are now having "pre-Black Friday" sales. What's the point of being open Thanksgiving if you're going to have sales before it anyway?




iPhone

[xcellntbuy]

No, thankfully.  My new employer gives generous time off for Thanksgiving.  Two weeks later, the Christmas-New Year's holiday break lasts for 3-1/2 weeks, as well.

[cjk374]

For me, the problem with stores being open on Thanksgiving is that they are non-essential. Hospitals, public safety, hotels, broadcast stations, the military are essential services.

Having stores open that day shows that we value things over people. Also, Thanksgiving started as a religious holiday but is now pretty much celebrated by all Americans, because who doesn't have something to be thankful for. We are ruining the opportunity for everyone to celebrate a national holiday so that we can buy more consumer goods that we don't need.

Also, seriously, I was at the mall yesterday, and stores are now having "pre-Black Friday" sales. What's the point of being open Thanksgiving if you're going to have sales before it anyway?




iPhone

AMEN SISTAH!!!!  Even a couple of local radio stations started playing Christmas music the week BEFORE Thanksgiving!     

I get a case of the bah-humbug red-ass starting in September when I walk into Lowes, Wally-Hell, and other stores that start setting up Christmas display crap.  Retailers are leading the flocks away from the individuality of each holiday and their true meanings...all for the pursuit of the almighty dollar.

That being said, all 7 of the class 1 railroads will run a train on their systems somewhere.  My little shortline will be off Thanksgiving Day, but we'll be back to work on Black Friday.  My fiancee works for a big health clinic, and they will be shut down both Thanksgiving and Black Friday.   

[6a]

For me, the problem with stores being open on Thanksgiving is that they are non-essential. Hospitals, public safety, hotels, broadcast stations, the military are essential services.

My wife has worked for Walmart for over 20 years (6-3 this year) and she gets the "You guys shouldn't be open" line every year. Her reply is simply "we wouldn't be if you weren't here."

[english si]

AMEN SISTAH!!!!  Even a couple of local radio stations started playing Christmas music the week BEFORE Thanksgiving!   

We normally have to wait for after Thanksgiving (so at least it's like nearly Advent) for the CocaCola Christmas Advert to appear on our TVs. It used to be the reliable guide of when it was OK - malls would start decorating and other ads start too early (around the first or second week of November), but they aired it Sunday 9th this year .

Our town has a Christmas radio station "Radio Christmas" for charity, with the community involved with running it. They have an internal rule severely limiting Christmas songs they play until the week before Christmas. Last year I listened for about 10 hours and heard about 5 Christmas songs - 3 of which were when a local primary school had their weekly hour-long slot and the choir sang some carols. This year I might do their internet 'year-round Xmas songs' feed, rather than their actual radio when I want Christmas music.

Shockingly, despite not having Thanksgiving as a holiday (and if we did it would be in mid-September), Black Friday seems to have become a thing on the UK High Street this year, rather than just a niche thing that online shops do (since c.2010). Boxing Day (well the day after Boxing Day back when shops weren't open long Boxing Day), was traditionally the day with the crazy sales, but it looks like we're going to see it a month earlier.

[corco]

I agree fully with Laura and find it disgusting that people use Thanksgiving as a shopping day, preventing folks that really don't need to be at work from being home with their families. I'm not even really cool with Black Friday- just open things up at 8 AM on Friday. There are a minority of people that don't mind working on those days, but it's certainly not the majority of workers. Holidays should be for everybody, not just people that can afford to go shopping.

I'll be headed back to Idaho after work on Wednesday.

[oscar]

Thanksgiving seems to still be sacred in Canada -- I was there that day, only traveler services and other essential services were open.  Fortunately, they have theirs in October, so it doesn't interfere with Christmas/etc. shopping -- all they have to lose is a day of shopping ahead of Halloween.

[akotchi]

Fortunately, we will have the whole family home for Thanksgiving Day.  I have both Thursday and Friday off, but my wife is a nurse who works each holiday every other year.  She works 24 hours over both the Christmas and New Year's holidays this year, as her hospital's policy is that the holiday also includes the day before.

I am with those who do not care for the stores opening Thanksgiving Day, and the further developments since.  When car dealers are "celebrating" Black Friday all month, it is getting way out of hand.  In order to fit in any more, some trick or treaters need to wear Santa Claus costumes!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!   No matter what you will be doing, be thankful for it!

[freebrickproductions]

My school system gave us a full week off for Thanksgiving!

[route17fan]

I am in the airline industry and the traveling public does not take a day off (although I think a day wouldn't hurt) - and as such I will be at work assisting the traveling public to get to their destinations. 

[Duke87]

Being in a corporate, quasi-governmental, non-essential, and non-urgent world I am not working on Thanksgiving and never will at my current job.

But I am working on black friday since it's not a holiday.


As for lining up for 6 PM doorbusters on Thanksgiving, in my family that thankfully isn't a thing. Our party will run much later than that and nobody is leaving early to go shopping since that would be incredibly rude and we at least like to pretend we have manners.

But regardless of what time the stores open, you would never catch me doing any Black Friday shopping since I despise crowds and chaos. I buy most of my Christmas gifts for people online from the comfort of my couch. For things that I must visit a brick and mortar store for, my attitude is to stay away from all the idiot lemmings trampling each other and go to the store after they all leave when the lines will be much shorter and I can get in and out faster.

This applies to other things too. When the new Super Smash Bros game came out a couple months ago I considered going to the midnight release party but decided against it. Apparently according to the guy at the store there were more than 50 people there and it was nuts. But because I know better, I strolled into the store the following morning, walked right up to the counter (there was no line), bought the game, and left. No stress, no fuss.

[briantroutman]

I am in the airline industry and the traveling public does not take a day off (although I think a day wouldn't hurt) - and as such I will be at work assisting the traveling public to get to their destinations. 

I would imagine it's due to low demand, but the airlines typically offer a major price incentive to travel on the holiday itself–rather than the day before or day after. Southwest still has many coast-to-coast flights on Christmas Day for under $200, but a few days before, you'll pay double or triple that.

[route17fan]

Yes, very true! It is unfortunate that it takes a holiday to get prices like that, but true indeed.

[hbelkins]

If it snows (a possibility in this area, from what some of the early forecasts are saying) then I may have to work.

[Scott5114]

I have Thanksgiving off for the first time in five years because my supervisors at my new job are actually humans who care about such things. I will be able to actually make it to Kansas City for my family's Thanksgiving this year.

[allniter89]

no

[empirestate]

Oh yes, I'll be at work, that's show-biz. But I've got a matinee show and I took Friday off, so I'll drive Upstate after work on Thursday, where my whole family is gathering for Thanksgiving dinner the day after. Then back to the city on Saturday, just in time to do three more shows that evening followed by two more Sunday morning.

Might make for an interesting commute on Saturday & Sunday: I have to drop the dog off at daycare while I'm working, and I finish too late to pick her up Saturday night. So I booked her at a place in NJ near the ferry terminal; I'll drive there and park ($13), take the ferry over, then the free bus or a cab over to Rockefeller Center, subway home to the Bronx that night...then the whole thing in reverse on Sunday, picking up my car and the dog in Jersey after work. Or, I may pick up the car Saturday night and drive in to work on Sunday, since I can park in the city then. We shall see.

[J N Winkler]

It seems worthwhile to link to the last major thread we had that dealt with doorbusters:

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=8126.0

[ET21]

Nope

[andrewkbrown]

I have to work Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Just the way the schedule falls this year. In fact, I don't get a Thanksgiving off until 2019, unless I work a trade with someone.

[kj3400]

I work when school's open, so I have Thanksgiving off, thankfully. I actually will probably have the full week off now, as our building's heat isn't working.

[GaryV]

My son came home today and said he's not working Thanksgiving, but might as well be.  He has to go in at 2:00 am on Friday.