Are you working Thanksgiving? 2016 Edition

[ZLoth]

You guessed it. It's that time of year again.... when I ask "Are you working Thanksgiving?" If you don't believe me, see this thread from 2015, 2014, and 2013.

Again, why do I bother? Because of all the "outrage" about the stores being open on Thanksgiving, and that the retail workers having to work the holiday instead of being with their families. Of course, we conveniently ignore the fact that there are plenty of "invisible" people who work Thanksgiving including police officers, firefighters, medical personnel, and lets not forget service people who are currently deployed. That, of course, doesn't include the visible people who will be working the casinos, restaurants, movie theaters, and in the stadiums for the following games (All Eastern Time):

• 12:30 PM: Vikings at Lions (NFL)
  
• 4:30 PM: Redskins at Cowboys (NFL)
  
• 7:30 PM: Hurricanes at Canadians (NHL)
  
• 7:30 PM: Bruins at Senators (NHL)
  
• 8:30 PM: Steelers at Colts (NFL)
  
• No NBA games
  

And, once again, I volunteered to work Thanksgiving. This year, I work with Asia-Pacific customers, and it's a normal workday for then.

[Dougtone]

Of course, those two NHL games are being played in Canada, which will be a normal Thursday night there.

[SSOWorld]

on vacation the last half of the month (includes the Thanksgiving/Black Friday paid holidays)

[wanderer2575]

I'm not working on Thanksgiving proper, but my department will be working a few hours late the evening before and I occasionally have to go into the office for a couple hours the Friday following (company holiday) to set up some banking.  I'm in Payroll and I need to get all my company's employees paid on time, holiday or not.

OT:  I customarily (if it's not raining and I don't have to go into work) go to a metropark for a dayhike that Friday.  I pass one of metro Detroit's largest malls on the way out and I always stop to drive the ring road around the mall and marvel (I leave that verb to your interpretation) at the hordes of cars and people.  Then I proceed to my nice quiet walk in the woods.

[Otto Yamamoto]

I'm one of those 'invisible' individuals, and am working. Not that I care much, as I don't celebrate holidays if I can avoid it.

XT1254

[Takumi]

I don't know yet.

[Max Rockatansky]

Nope, but that's probably more because the fact that Lions are on and my significant other would be furious if I decided to work.  We're just having chicken from Vons and a crap ton of beer for the NFL games. 

[TR69]

Yep, working a day shift. I'm a Federal worker in a 24/7 office, so we work most holidays.  At least I'm not on third shift on this one.

[cjk374]

I'm always off on Thanksgiving. But what I marvel at (instead of the droves of crazy people filling up the malls & Wally Hells of this country) is the fact that "Black Friday" has become a paid holiday at some companies. Times are certainly a changin.

[bandit957]

More proof we need unions. Now more than ever.

[Max Rockatansky]

More proof we need unions. Now more than ever.

I'm self employed, so I would be striking against myself.    In regards to retailers, they work the other holidays aside from Christmas....so why is Thanksgiving not fair game?    Besides there has been a backlash from consumers on the practice and it really hasn't really helped increased sales with the boon in online sales.  Besides one could say that if you don't want to be treated like an entry employee do something to make sure that you aren't.  Not everything requires Teamster levels of striking to solve, there is too much of a demand for those jobs for anything like that to be effective.  At least "exempt" status is being bumped up to 47k or something in December.  A lot of employers sure abused the hell out of that with salary people to since it was free labor after a 40 hour work week.

[jeffandnicole]

As always, I'll be working if it snows on Thanksgiving.  I also put in to volunteer with the 6ABC Parade in Philly...so I'm waiting to hear if I'll be doing that or not. 

So don't get to include plow operators and parade workers and participants in the 'silent' group. 

Those that complain that it's Thanksgiving and people shouldn't be working would be pissed off to no end if there were no parades on TV and highways weren't cleared.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

You guessed it. It's that time of year again.... when I ask "Are you working Thanksgiving?" If you don't believe me, see this thread from 2015, 2014, and 2013.

Once again, I say the de facto Thanksgiving in Spain is August 15th , and as result there is no holiday on November 24th.

[corco]

I'm always off on Thanksgiving. But what I marvel at (instead of the droves of crazy people filling up the malls & Wally Hells of this country) is the fact that "Black Friday" has become a paid holiday at some companies. Times are certainly a changin.

Yeah - I get the day after Thanksgiving off at this new job - never had it before, which is kind of annoying since this is also the first time I don't need it (in the past I had to drive to Idaho over the weekend to have Thanksgiving here).

My employer's rationale is that most people take it off anyway and it's not a productive day in the office. I work for a government agency, so we have to have a certain number of paid holidays, and they swapped this one out for Columbus Day, which I have to work.

[xcellntbuy]

No, thank God.

[hbelkins]

Not unless it snows or there is some other highway issue like flooding, mudslides, etc.

The Friday after Thanksgiving has been a state holiday since long before "Black Friday" became "Black Friday" and the sales were just called "after-Thanksgiving sales." It makes sense. The idea of having a holiday and then having to go back to work for one day before the weekend is a bit goofy.

[Brandon]

More proof we need unions. Now more than ever.

Funny.  It was when I worked in a grocery store, as a UFCW member, that I had to work Thanksgiving.  Now, as a non-union professional, I do not work Thanksgiving, but get it as a paid holiday.

[SSOWorld]

Nearly all companies that offer paid holidays to cover the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend call the Friday "Day after Thanksgiving".  In a sense this is a more proper way to describe it.

[HazMatt]

For the first time since I graduated college I'm not working on Thanksgiving.  After 10 years of being a contractor or 'part-time' employee even though I worked 50+ hours/week, I'm finally considered full-time with vacations and holidays.  Also get Black Friday off so woo for me.  Unfortunately my wife works in retail so I only get 1 day to visit family, but better than nothing.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I asked for it off well in advance. Won't know if I got it for another couple weeks but I'll be disappointed if I didn't.

[Scott5114]

I have it off, but most of my coworkers have to work. I'll be working Christmas and New Years, however.

[epzik8]

As far as I know, no; I simply work a local grocery store, and respect those public service workers.

[US 81]

I'm an invisible, but have a little seniority. Thanksgiving I'm off, but I volunteered for the day after. If I were off, I'd stay home and avoid the "Black Friday" craziness anyway, so why not work?

[ET21]

No.

Black Friday is optional/sign up at UPS. We get full overtime if we work

[hbelkins]

Not unless it snows or there is some other highway issue like flooding, mudslides, etc.

The Friday after Thanksgiving has been a state holiday since long before "Black Friday" became "Black Friday" and the sales were just called "after-Thanksgiving sales." It makes sense. The idea of having a holiday and then having to go back to work for one day before the weekend is a bit goofy.

Addendum: This week is one in which nothing will get done. For Kentucky state employees, the presidential election day is a holiday, as is Veterans Day. A number of people have taken the whole week off and only have to use three vacation days to do so.