Target employee whines about working on Thanksgiving

He works at 11 p.m.

I don't see him being unable to spend the day with his family.

I do see him being unable to get completely shit-faced while eating pumpkin pie and watching the Harbaugh Bowl.

Poor guy. I know that's what I'm looking forward to doing.

 

It absolutely sucks. No question about it. It's not that I don't have sympathy; I've done it. But you know the hours are going to suck in November and December. You sign up for it.

 

As someone else mentioned, the guy might want to get a little sleep before working his overnight shift, so he'd already have to cut out from dinner with his family a little early. If his family dinner is being held a couple hours away, he'd likely not even bother to attend.

Last year, I had to leave dinner at 3 pm. My sister had to just cut me off a slice of turkey and give me a couple sides before dinner was even served. It sucked. I wasn't happy I had to work and, yes, I complained about it. I didn't quit because that would not have been prudent.

People line up for the prices. If the stores held the exact same sale a day later, the same people would camp out. They really arent getting any extra profit, as last year's sales numbers show.

I see nothing wrong with workers wishing to spend a holiday with their family instead of dealing with consumers getting into fist fights over the last Tickle Me Elmo.

We work because the news never stops. It's not the same as opening on one of the country's few major holidays to squeeze out an extra buck (which would just as likely be spent the next day if stores were closed until then).

 

I dunno. After about an hour of listening to my in-laws complain about their health issues and my sister-in-law glaring at me, I'm usually ready to go to work on Thanksgiving.

No, he doesn't have to sleep. Not a prerequisite.

Yes, I feel bad for all those workers. It's nice to have the holidays off.

Four years ago, Target opened at 6 a.m. Now, it's midnight. It's a little nuts. Convenient for the night shifters at Podunk Press like me, though.

 

Look, I feel bad for this guy and others like him. Working on the holidays suck. But what are you going to do? It's not like this is news.

You work at a retail store, you're going to have to work Black Friday and, now, parts of Thanksgiving.

You work at a nice restaurant, the best tips are going to be on Friday and Saturday nights and you're going to have to work on Valentine's Day.

You work at the adult DVD store, you're going to have to clean the floors of the peep booth.

It's life, man.

 

The point is that other places are going to be open then, so if Target isn't, they're out of luck and soon out of business. I guess they could pass a law that no store can be open before 5 a.m. Friday, but I don't expect that to happen.

Also: It is much more difficult on the customer when the store opens at 5 a.m. than when it opens at midnight. Normal adults can stay awake until midnight or thereabouts, so if they want to be early birds they get to the store at 10 p.m., still on normal body rhythms, and wait it out and just be a little tired when they get home. If the store opens at 5 a.m., they are hauling out of bed at 3 a.m. and ruining their sleep patterns for two days.

(Speaking as one who has been dragged along under both sets of circumstances.)

I worked my share of holidays. Hated it. Would get angrier and angrier in the weeks leading up. But from then on as I picked my jobs and plotted my career, I made that a priority -- and I chose not to pursue certain jobs because they would require working on holidays.

 

3 a.m. for a 5 a.m. opening?

Good luck getting anything good.

 

Maybe it was 2 a.m. Or 1 a.m. God, would I have done that? I'm whipped.

 

I LIVE for Black Friday. Like completely. I go through the ads, cut out what I want, tape it to sheets of paper, with the store's location, opening hour, and a map of the interior of the store so I know where to go. I scout this shit OUT.

Being open on Thanksgiving makes me happier than I can put into words. I have no family. I have no Thanksgiving dinner. So being able to knock that shit out early? Bingo.

 

I'm sympathetic to the guy, because I've worked holidays for years too. But I also understand the business aspect. If one business opens, and people shop there, then other businesses have to do the same.

But at the same time, if you're the CEO or the upper brass, do your employees a favor. Show up at one of the stores at midnight, bag a few items at the register, and go around and thank your employees. It'll be good publicity, and it'll show your workers that you're willing to make the same sacrifices as you are asking them to do.

Don't just sit on your ass at home after a big Thanksgiving dinner and think to yourself that you've earned your big bonus all by yourself. You've had thousands of people helping you along the way.

 

Stores open on Thanksgiving is a continual reminder society cares about buying crap and little else. My wife overheard people at Walmart talking about how they will spend several hours at the store before the sales start at 10 p.m. It's pathetic we live in a society were people are spending hours at Walmart so they can buy Chinese goods.