Target stores are open until 10 pm on Christmas Eve?

[Hela]

79. Service economy reality

When I worked retail as a high-school teenager back in the dark ages, it was seniority that determined scheduling preferences. You had to pay some dues by working there for a while before you got any perks, like requesting specific days off.

One year in college, I worked a seasonal job in retail. We were expected to work on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve; part of the job as seasonal help is to relieve the regular employees.

I worked in a 24/7 call center for a couple of years when I went back to work 9 years ago. Everyone, including managers, had to sign up to work two holiday shifts during the year, one of which had to be on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve or New Years Day. You might also be on call for another one or two holidays, depending on staffing. I don’t think anyone stuck in an elevator, or calling a funeral home to pick up a body, or trying to get hold of their doctor because their two-year old just swallowed a plastic toy part would be too happy if nobody answered the phone.

Some people want to work, some people have to work.