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I think it is sad

November 27th, 2008 at 12:43 am

Went to our little town today. Most of the few business we have here are owned by the same family--2 gas stations, grocery store, hardware store, newspaper, resturant and real estate office. He and his kids and their spouses manage them all with help from non related high school kids. I noticed a sign up the the 2 gas stations, grocery and hardware stores, as well as the resturant. They will be open regular hours on Thanksgiving. At the one gas station where I stopped, the help was complaiing-all the "family" members are off, only the non related high school help has to work. The do not get over time or holiday pay. One said if it were a school day he normally didn't come in until 4 p.m., but was scheduled 7-4 because it was not a school day.

Then I went to the next town over to get some things our town doesn't have. The grocery store there is open 6am-12pm tomorrow, along with most other businesses. Even Sonic had a sign up they were open regular hours.

I go to the grocery store there fairly often to fill in for what Aldi doesn't have. I said something to the owner/manager. He said he had so many people complain to him, he will not be open Christmas as a result. I also said something to the Sonic manager (had a craving for a route 44 cherry limade and he was the one working the drive thru). He said it was a corp office decision and stupid. He said last year they didn't even clear enough to pay the help.

The walmart in the city that we go to when we have to is open regular hours on all holidays.

All for the sake of the almighty dollar.

4 Responses to “I think it is sad”

  1. thriftorama Says:
    1227748673

    I worked in restaurants and bars from 15 to 26 and I had to work every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's just the way things are these days. Everyone used to get Labor Day off too, until businesses realized they could make money off the people who had office jobs, at the expense of low wage workers who would have to serve them on their days off.

  2. whitestripe Says:
    1227762004

    i think it's odd that high school kids complain about having to work on their day off. when i had days off from school for public holidays i would be the first to put my hand up to make a bit of extra money. i never got holiday pay either. i just don't get why kids seem to be getting more and more spoilt.

    sorry, but that's my two cents worth. i'm only 21 but i've noticed changed in kids attitudes over the last few years...

  3. mom-from-missouri Says:
    1227762651

    I think the kids feel (and I agree) that the owner/boss made sure all of his family was off, so they could have a family holiday. Yet, he scheduled these kids to all work 8, 10 and 12 hour shifts to cover for his family, and these kids get no time with their own family.

    They are viewing as if he says his family is more important.

    I would rather be with my family, then at a min wage job, and so would these kids. One said he had worked here for 2 years, and had to work all holidays-Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving...if there were other jobs in the town he would take one of them, but there are not. But, since his dad passed away, he is trying to work to help his mom out. Yet, with his dad gone, family time means more to him.

    10 years from now being behind that register won't mean didley. Time spent with your family creating a holiday memory will. You never know when the end of a family relationship can happen due to a death.

  4. go.Xtina Says:
    1227849479

    It doesn't change much for me. I don't celebrate any holidays with my family except Chinese New Year.

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