for all you fellow retail workers!

[missjef]

who else is not looking forward to working over the christmas period? i hate working over the holiday's seem's to take away all the christmas spirit! especially working christmas eve and boxing day (which we have been told we have no option in the matter we have to work!). oh well guess thats retail for you! x

[ermintrude35]

...by the end of november I twitch everytime I hear slade....

I changed companies last year and now get boxing day and new years day off...still have to work xmas eve though, all the drunk people from office parties roll in for last min. pressies.....and we are busy removing all traces of xmas p.o.s and getting the jan sale stuff ready, ad unpacking the cream eggs...baa humbug!.....

[Octavius]

Ever thought of a change of career? I get two weeks off.

[missjef]

a good idea there Octavius, though i'm not as unlucky as my boyfriend who is working christmas day morning as is one or 2 of my friends i think.

[beryllium]

When I did work for real??? then it was either Christmas Eve 9pm - 5am and Boxing Day same shift or day shift 12 - 9pm. Or we opted for Christmas off and worked New Years Eve... that was party on though. I used to work Christmas as I love New Year off...

So, even though you're in retail.... at least the hours are 'normal' lol... :) xxx

[4getmenot]

I;m not in retail an we have to work xmas eve. I saved my holiday and took it off though. Couldnt you do that?

[ermintrude35]

..most retailer companies make sure that our contracts state the we are not allowed any holidays in december, when I worked for woolworths, this included november too!

[4getmenot]

oh well I guess you get other perks like discounts etc.

[missjef]

i wish we could choose to work either xmas or new year's because i would much rather work new years! even if i was a bit hungover! lol.
it is a shame we cant book holiday off then, but then i guess everyone would want to do it! i think we cant take holiday in december and january...

[ermintrude35]

I was lucky at my previous company, as we only had to work boxing or new years day, most of the youngsters worked boxing and the ones with families prefered to work new years , so there was a happy balance... discout is a definate perk.

mind you when I was a chef I worked on xmas day, never again, ok if you are single, but I cried buckets when I went home around 3.30 to find everyone had waited for me, none of the pressies were opened, not a cracker pulled, or a cork popped....I vowed that day never to work on the big day ever again.

My father had a huge op over xmas at Manchester Royal Infermary , the staff there were wonderfull, not just the medical staff but all the canteen workers and cleaners who also worked on dec.25th it really was like having one big family there

[mountainboo]

I really do feel for you missjef, and all you other retail workers. When I was younger I used to work for BHS and it seemed that at christmas customers were more demanding, more rude and generally more irritating. That goes for the management too. I absolutely hated it, mind you I hated working there the rest of the time. Whilst I was there it was their first opening on boxing day. I still firnly believe that employees are treated like crap in retail, it's appaling. And dont even get me started on the wages!

[funnygirl]

I am lucky too, this year we finish on friday 21st and go back on thursday 3rd for two days. But I may take 2 days leave and go back on the following monday.
A nice long break with the booze, turkey and choccies.
I always go back to work half a stone heavier.
I feel sorry for the retail staff at xmas.
My son had a part time job at Asda and he had to work late into xmas eve and go in boxing day!!!

[missjef]

my manager informed me today that i would most likely be expected to be in work for 6am on xmas eve! me not being able to drive would not be able to get there so i think i will just have to be there for 7am :-(
i don't see why shops should have to open on boxing day! why cant people just wait and go shopping the next day after that!!? if i was at home i wouldnt wanna go shopping on boxing day!

[4getmenot]

for all all those little sad kids that opened their presents and the parents forgot the blinking batteries, or got the wrong bits to make it all work believe me I know!!

[mccfluff]

i'm off work from my office job but as i also work in a pub, i'll be working xmas eve, xmas day, boxing day, new years eve and day, great fun.............. but on the plus side the tips are usually good

[missjef]

yeah just keep thinking of the tips! :-)