Black Friday Hours Create Employee Revolt

[villager]

<snip>

52 million Americans plan to shop on Black Friday or the Saturday and Sunday that follow. That's up from 138 million last year.
Retailers are ready for that spending spree. Holiday sales make up about a fifth of retailers' annual sales. Looking for any edge in a tight economy, some big box stores are now opening as early as 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving itself.

But that has inspired a Black Friday backlash from some employees who say that they are being cheated out of their holiday.

Target employee Anthony Hardwick, who has to be at work before the store opens at midnight, started an online petition protesting those early hours. He now has nearly 200,000 signatures. "I'm going to have to get some sleep and I'll probably go to bed at 2:00 and miss my family's Thanksgiving dinner completely," Hardwick said.

Plenty of customers are sympathetic. "I don't understand it. I think the stores have a lot of nerve doing this. I don't think the employees want to be working," shopper Joan Feslen said.

Shopper Jean Klinger agrees. "I don't think it's a good thing. I think we're getting too far from our family values and traditions that we used to have," she said.

And are those bargains really worth all the crowds and chaos? Turns out, you may actually be better off waiting. According to Consumer Reports, last year more than a quarter of the most popular electronics were marked down in the two weeks after Black Friday.

<snip>

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/black-friday-hours-create-employee-revolt/story?id=14993962#.TsmWvbKIm0s

[PoliticAverse]

1. Some additional articles on the topic linked in the DU thread here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=2343022&mesg_id=2343022

[Modern_Matthew]

2. Too bad it wasn't a mass sick-out, rather than petitions...

But it's great to see fellow wage slaves awaken from their oppressive slumber.

[SheilaT]

3. 52 million plan to shop, up from 138 million?

I could swear 52 is a lot less than 138. Did math change while I wasn't looking?

In any case, I won't be one of however many idiots go out to shop Friday or Saturday.

[Goldom]

9. OP missed a "1"

It's 152 million in the article.

[knitter4democracy]

4. I refuse to shop on Black Friday entirely.

I feel bad for the clerks, I never find what I want (and if I do, the lines aren't worth it), and honestly, it's just not fun for anyone. No thanks. I'd rather sleep in, continue cleaning up from Thanksgiving dinner, and knit.

[eilen]

5. I'm working

but not at a retail outlet. At a healthcare outlet. People are sick every day and we never have sales.

[eilen]

6. I'm working

but not at a retail outlet. At a healthcare outlet. People are sick every day and we never have sales.

[prairierose]

7. In my house, that day is ....

buy nothing day and it has been for about 10 years. I try really hard not to leave the house at all.

http://www.buynothingday.org/

[ellenfl]

10. hear, hear! eom

[monmouth]

8. Best Buy will open at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night...n/t

[TygrBright]

11. ::sigh:: Wouldn't it be wonderful if they held a Black Friday, and nobody came? n/t

[rpannier]

13. Black Out Friday

I'm part of that movement
IMO only idiots clamor over one another to get junk

[Lugnut]

12. I stay home on Black Friday.

I'm not a glutton for the punishment of increased traffic and crowds of whackos everywhere.

[saras]

14. Isn't that Buy Nothing Day? Sorry, that's a religious holiday for me. I can't work.

[southernyankeebelle]

15. Only one way it will work. Customers boycott. Its not right families should

miss what little time they have because of a harried life. Boycott stores until after mid-night. None of us are going out.

[ragemage]

16. We are such good little drones

We are such good little drones that we go to these stores and faithfully part with our hard earned cash for stuff that we really don't need that is crap made in China that will break in a year. Every year you see this herd mentality "have to shop on Black Friday". Why? Who says you have to? The deals are not worth the aggravation. Shop online or go to your local stores (if any are left). Count me out. I hate shopping to begin with this drives me away totally.

[Fuddnik]

17. I got free tickets to the USF-Louisville football game.

Otherwise, I'd go to the bar instead.