Should government ban stores opening on Thanksgiving?

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Sep 9, 2013
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I am surprised to find out that apparently a lot of these "poor retail workers" actually enjoy working on Thanksgiving.

i worked retail for over 10 years.

i ALWAYS volunteered to work Black Friday. you could make a whole weeks paycheck in one day if you put in enough hours.

Double Time & a half, plus the company would cater food in for all the employees who worked, and we got first dibs on all the 'deals' before the store opened.

Friend of mine currently works for WalMart. They're getting triple time, plus an insane amount of food and drinks being brought in for the employees, and first crack at the items on sale.
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
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you mean these guys actually have a job in the obama junk economy??
 

bozack

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2000
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I live in one of these utopian states that bans stores from opening on thanksgiving and know what, most people wait until midnight and then head out until 4am or later to shop, honestly can't see how that is any better than the store just being open earlier.

As others have said, many don't care about thanksgiving as a holiday and if they want to work then so be it, and also why only retail, why not every other business?

I get retail is seen as an unnecessary thing especially compared to say gas stations, but still what about all the other stuff that is still open that isn't necessary...
 

piasabird

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
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What I think the government should do is regulate overtime pay. If you open on a holiday, they should mandate all employees be paid triple time.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
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What I think the government should do is regulate overtime pay. If you open on a holiday, they should mandate all employees be paid triple time.

How about they stay the hell out of things? They can't do anything right and you now want them dicking with people's pay?

No
 

exdeath

Lifer
Jan 29, 2004
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None of government's business.

This year was the first time I really went out for specific things and participated in the whole Black Friday nonsense.

I actually enjoyed that it was Thursday evening.

Why? Because I already have to get up and go out to hang out with family for Thanksgiving, so I'm already up and out and can sleep in on Friday instead of having to get up and go out a second day in a row. It was quite convenient.

Also as said workers seem to enjoy it as well. If I was hard up for cash and had a crappy job you bet I'd be looking forward to guaranteed overtime.
 

ThinClient

Diamond Member
Jan 28, 2013
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Huh? I am saying it should be a State's decision when stores can open.

It shouldn't be the state's decision to force an unconstitutional mandate. Nobody's forcing anyone to go shopping. Both state and federal governments need to get the hell out of everyone's business and stop being god damned busy bodies.
 

cubby1223

Lifer
May 24, 2004
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This is one of those conflicts I usually don't agree with government regulating business like this, but I would support a ban on businesses being open on Thanksgiving.

It's tough because stores are open on Thanksgiving because a shit-ton of people want to shop for the "deals". You're saying to these people, "You cannot shop here because I know what's better for America than you do."

To those of us who still cling to this seemingly out-dated notion of "family", it's tough when you can never gather everyone together because everyone has all weird hours. A brother of mine even purposefully makes sure he gets work scheduled on the days of family get-togethers so he never has to even visit his extended family.

There's never an easy answer.
 
Last edited:
Feb 4, 2009
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It shouldn't be the state's decision to force an unconstitutional mandate. Nobody's forcing anyone to go shopping. Both state and federal governments need to get the hell out of everyone's business and stop being god damned busy bodies.

I don't get this. So you feel anyone should be able to sell anything at anytime? someone could open a night club in their basement next to your home and be open 24/7 and you would really have no problem with it?