McDonald’s wants to open on Christmas Day

[Shwa Girl]

McDonald’s wants to open on Christmas Day

http://www.businessweek.com/articles...s-on-christmas
First, the employees “need a break today”.

Second, if people don’t want to cook or don’t have a crowd over for Christmas, they can get a deli deal at the supermarket to last a few days.

Third, for those not celebrating Christmas, there are touristy attractions that are open on Christmas.
Shame McDonald’s. You are seeing only $$$. Shame, I say.

[Natalka]

Gee, here some restaurants are open, some theatres... I'm sure other businesses as well.

[lekate]

When stores were open this past Canada Day because it was a Sunday, every effing customer commented how it was a shame that we were open on Canada Day instead of being closed like all other years, yet they continued to buy stuff!

If people just didn't need to shop every day, then we wouldn't have this problem! I even pointed it out, if they waited one day to purchase whatever then they'd be showing to these corporations that people DON'T want stores to be open on holidays.

[Shwa Girl]

When stores were open this past Canada Day because it was a Sunday, every effing customer commented how it was a shame that we were open on Canada Day instead of being closed like all other years, yet they continued to buy stuff!

If people just didn't need to shop every day, then we wouldn't have this problem! I even pointed it out, if they waited one day to purchase whatever then they'd be showing to these corporations that people DON'T want stores to be open on holidays.

Well said.

[c_mcarthur]

im not surprised at all.
cineplex theatres have always been open on christmas day, so why not fast food.
That being said, if they are going to be open on christmas day, then maybe employees who dont celebrate christmas should be the ones working?
I remember years ago christmas morning, my mom woke us up early and said that we needed to head to Rabba's to go grab a turkey pan as she forgot to buy one! lol
Rabba is a local convience store in the gta and they're known for being open 365 days a year so it was very convenient.
I figure that as long as employees get to choose whether theyd like to work that day then why should it be a problem?

[gourmetsue]

I figure that as long as employees get to choose whether theyd like to work that day then why should it be a problem?

I agree. We live in a such a multi-cultural / multi-religion country that I'm sure there are folks not celebrating that may want to work. Plus I'm assuming since it's a stat holiday that it would be at least time and a half. That extra pay may help someone out a lot. If it's not a matter of 'you've been scheduled you have to work these days' then I'm fine with it.

I have only "shopped" once on Christmas day before and that was stopping at Starbucks to get a drink and snack for a two hour drive.

[glowworm2k]

When I worked as a security guard (a 24-7 type occupation), I always volunteered to work New Year's Day and sometimes Christmas Day as well. My reasons?

a) Overtime. I was a student without much cash and the time and a half plus stat pay was amazing and really helped me to be able to afford a few gifts for my family and a bus ticket to go see them.
b) I would trade shifts to let my coworkers with young kids have the day off
c) Other than the religious part of the day, my family is happy to get together and have a celebration on whatever day we are all available. Living in a family with divorced parents and relatives all over the province, time with them generally doesn't coincide with a single calendar day.

For me, excluding the religious nature of the day, which I observe at a Dec. 24th church service and sometimes at an evening one on the 25th as well (just a carol sing and guided prayer service that my Grandma's church does, not really a true church service), I don't really need to have the entire day off. I think it should certainly be optional whether or not one works that day, but there are many people who don't celebrate, and a lot of others who, like me in past years, could really use the extra cash and see it as a way to put a nice Christmas supper on the table.

So, my answer in short: nobody should be forced to work the day, but plenty of people will end up working on the 25th and on other special days and not all of them will be disappointed about it.

[vesper]

Gas stations, pharmacies, airports and the occasional restaurant are rather acceptable IMO because they provide services we need.

But goodness gracious it is not good to create a demand for everything to be opened, denying so many people the chance to be at home on Christmas, New Years etc.

If they are going to make folks at the lower end of the pay scale work on special days, then I expect the Brass to work on those day to instead of being home.

[xox2010]

As a retail worker, it bothers me that we are forced to work holidays. I missed spending last Christmas with half of my family because I couldn't get Boxing Day off, and would have had to bus home at 1 AM.

For some reason, people just HAVE to shop every day. I think it's really pathetic that people can't go one or two days without buying Made in China junk, and apparently can't cook for themselves. It's just not healthy. Going one day without greasy food and cheap gizmos isn't going to harm anyone IMO.

[Darth Penguin]

I'm surprised Macs isn't open on Christmas Day to be honest. There seems to be plenty of different business as well as essential services which operate every day of the year.

I've worked my share of holidays including Christmas, sometimes it was the money, sometimes it was so a parent with small children or some-one with an eldery relative could spend the holiday as a family and once or twice..it was because I would have been alone on that day and I prefered to be in the company of my co-workers for a few hours than alone all day.

But as long as the worker is not being forced to work and gets compensation for giving up that day..why not?

[Darth Penguin]

As a retail worker, it bothers me that we are forced to work holidays. I missed spending last Christmas with half of my family because I couldn't get Boxing Day off, and would have had to bus home at 1 AM.

For some reason, people just HAVE to shop every day. I think it's really pathetic that people can't go one or two days without buying Made in China junk, and apparently can't cook for themselves. It's just not healthy. Going one day without greasy food and cheap gizmos isn't going to harm anyone IMO.

Sometimes, it's not that simple. As a former bed-sit* liver who had no communal kitchen, my cooking facilities was an electric ring and a dodgy micro-wave. I didn't have a fridge and as such was forced to shop nearly every day if I wanted a balanced diet.

* not sure what it would be called in Canada. A bed-sit is a single room in a house which is divided into one -room dwelling with a communial bathroom and sometimes a communal kitchen. It's basically the first step out of your parents home.

[linnyeg]

The McD's near me was open last year on Christmas, and will be open again this year. I talked to an employee last year (a couple weeks before Christmas) and she said that only people who volunteered had to work Christmas, no one was being forced to work it. Apparently it was up to each location (and it's employees) if they wanted to open Christmas day.

[Midnightly]

I have no issues with them being open.. One year we tried to go to Dennys .christmas day and it wax a line up out the door...easily an hour wait...just think for those who choose to work the stat they get paid overtime

[c_mcarthur]

As a retail worker, it bothers me that we are forced to work holidays. I missed spending last Christmas with half of my family because I couldn't get Boxing Day off, and would have had to bus home at 1 AM.

For some reason, people just HAVE to shop every day. I think it's really pathetic that people can't go one or two days without buying Made in China junk, and apparently can't cook for themselves. It's just not healthy. Going one day without greasy food and cheap gizmos isn't going to harm anyone IMO.

oh believe me I know EXACTLY how you feel.
many years my family has had to share christmas day.
one family in the morning, one in the afternoon.
it sucks, its stressfull and then id have to be in at 7am on boxing day to handle the massive returns.
Thankfully I switched retail jobs in sept and I found out that my store is CLOSED boxing day!!!
I'm seeing one family christmas day and one boxing day.
as for people having to shop everyday, i get regulars at my store everyday and people who come in at 8:59pm and spend 10 minutes shopping.
cuz you know 13 hours isn't enough time to shop. (we're open monday-sunday 8am-9pm)

[Andit]

As long as the employees are given a choice, I don't see what the problem is. I've worked my share of stat holidays before (and none of it in retail).

S
* not sure what it would be called in Canada. A bed-sit is a single room in a house which is divided into one -room dwelling with a communial bathroom and sometimes a communal kitchen. It's basically the first step out of your parents home.

Here in Toronto, they're called rooming houses and are fairly tightly regulated (there were a series of tragedies several years ago where fire claimed a number of lives.