Suck It Up and Stop Griping Already About Working Black Friday Sales!

The title of my blog says it all.

I’m done. Thank you and good day or night.

Ok. It sums it up, if not says it all.

And as you probably know from listening to my radio show and reading my blogs, I have a lot more to say than that.

I almost blew a proverbial gasket today reading about how many retail employees are uptight about having to work earlier and earlier hours on Black Friday, the infamous retail bonanza that marks big sales and deals the day after Thanksgiving.

Many rightfully point out that these says have started creeping up on us sooner and sooner every holiday season.

And that’s OK.

Retailers can start Black Friday in MARCH if they want to.

And you can QUIT your job if you don’t like it.

I can’t stand hearing people in an awful jobs market bellyaching about how terrible their bosses are.

I know, I know. So cruel and unusual for your boss to tell you when you have to show up for work and what is expected of you on the most important few days of their retail year. And yes, some are even starting sales Thanksgiving NIGHT. Oh the horror!!

Employees are using the cliched arguments. “You expect me to get up early after I stuff my face with turkey the night before??”

Yes. Exactly. That’s EXACTLY what we are expecting you to do.

We as humans have our priorities out of whack. As usual.

We put more importance on overeating ourselves into oblivion that respecting the wishes of the person or company that provides our very livelihood so we can BUY that turkey and all the fixings.

Here’s a reality check for you: You aren’t too good to have to get up at 2 or 3am to get to work. You aren’t too good to work long hours on holidays that are important to your boss.

You THINK you are, but you aren’t. None of us are.

Well, there’s a caveat in all this.

If you don’t want to get up at 2am the day after you stuffed yourself blind with food, quit and find another line of work that doesn’t require this of you.

But Walmart is “making” people work on Thanksgiving night, too!! OUTRAGEOUS!!

Nope. It’s not. You can disagree by QUITTING. Go ahead. I dare you. Quit! Just do it already!

See? SIMPLE!! Outrageously simple!!

YOU chose the retail job you have. YOU agreed to work for the pay and benefits or lack thereof that you are working for. You weren’t shipped off to the retail stockades to be tortured with a job you were committed to by force.

These are all YOUR CHOICES.

A few short years ago I was working in retail myself. It was in between full time radio gigs and I was raised to not sit on my behind all day and so I worked several jobs to pay the bills and stay in our home and provide for my children.

One was retail. I worked long hours and didn’t make a lot of money. I stuggled but I did it knowing it was the right thing to do for my family at the time. The alternatives weren’t an option for me.

And yes, I worked 3 or 4 Black Fridays in a row.

And yes, I too had to get up in the middle of the night and work a very BUSY store the day after Thanksgiving.

I faced the retail hoard of shoppers often far scarier than the walking dead themselves!!

I turned lemons into lemonade, as the cliche goes. I turned an astonishingly early start to the work day into an adventure.

My family was being taken care of. I volunteered for the job. They were compensating me for my time. All was well.

If having to get up in the middle of the night one or two days out of the year is that stressful for you, don’t look at the state of the economy or unemployments figures. Those might truly send you over the top.

Be grateful you have a job. Be thankful for all you have.

And if you are truly unhappy where you are, have the courage and determination to respectfully quit and find greener pastures.

Or if your employer expects you to work even on Thanksgiving night, make the best of it. Celebrate Thanksgiving for LUNCH. Is there a law that says it has to be DINNER? Or how about the day BEFORE or AFTER? The pilgrims will forgive you!

Worst case scenario, have you ever had to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, or other special event on a date other than the ACTUAL date?? We ALL have.

The choice is yours.

But remember, the choice to empower yourself and make a change takes the same energy as the choice to bellyache and pout and stagnate.

11 Comments

Jig

November 14, 2012 at 12:22 am

I couldn't have said it better myself. (Although I might have added a few dozen 4 letter words). Funny how these people would feel if they ran out of gas at 3 AM and couldn't find a place to fill up. We live in a 24 hour society. And if we enjoy being 24 hour consumers, we are going to need 24 hour sellers. And yes, that includes holidays too. I sure am thankful that I was able to run to Walgreen's last Christmas morning when Santa accidentally forgot to get batteries for for my daughter's toy. And guess what? I was greeted by HAPPY employees!
Jeff

November 17, 2012 at 12:10 pm

Not everyone has a choice besides working retail. Either hang in there or be homeless. Good paying jobs are limited because of immigration & overpopulation. The problem is only getting worse. I've been in retail for 1 yr. since high school graduation & the biggest problem is the supervisor is a lazy douche bag. I look for better employment so I be respected and build a better future .
PBR

November 17, 2012 at 2:23 pm

Easy for you to say now that you don't work in retail anymore. What about years ago when we didnt have 24 hour shopping,when stores actually closed on holidays like this. They didnt go out of business,and the world didn't end.
Patrick

November 17, 2012 at 5:12 pm

Working in retail and sales, I don't protest working Black Friday; I protest the hours. I am thankful for my job – the irony of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. However rather than opening a store at midnight and working until noon and sleeping the majority of Thanksgiving in order to be awake for work, I would much rather enjoy one of the three days a year that retail workers get off and spend it with my family and loved ones. Being a twenty four hour society – BUY IT ONLINE AT MIDNIGHT! Let us workers do what the rest of you, spend time with our families. Retail workers are among the most under-appreciated employees.
Tom Huskerson

November 18, 2012 at 9:44 pm

You're missing the place of human dignity above profits. I am a working American who believes in the dignity of people and the Holiday. The people who decide to open those stores at 4AM are home in bed sleeping off the holiday feast. Do they believe that all people deserve this simple pleasure? Its a matter respect above sales, dignity above profit and honoring a day meant to display appreciation for the blessings bestowed upon this nation. Its obvious you missed learning this growing up.
coburg

November 19, 2012 at 9:00 am

I find it unlikely you were greeted by truly happy employees. Rather, it's part of their job, part of what they are told to do.

I fully understand the argument of stores directing their employees to work on holidays. Stores are there to make money, not provide jobs. For the most part, if stores are going to compete and be successful, they must open earlier and earlier.

With that said, this is an area where regulation would be beneficial. If stores were required to take Thanksgiving Day off, all would be playing on a level field. I believe most managers would like to give their employees time off to be with their families. It's unfortunate that competition often keeps stores from treating their employees the way they would like.
Ben Gordon

November 19, 2012 at 7:10 pm

Listening to the show today, and it's very entertaining, you can hear the intelligence of the audience speak. They're not swallowing the Fox News Disinformation Machine anymore. People have brains. Spencer, all you do is spew the same drivel over and over…I realize it's in Fox's best position to haver the divisiveness continue unabated but you can only toss the BS around so much. Listen, just today, how many callers pushed back at your nonsense. "Half of your paycheck will be going to the government in 2013! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" When you're challenged, the best you can do is "wahhhhh – I thought there were intelligent people living in_____ (insert name of State here)." Pathetic. Keep it up, Spencer – please, because of talking airheads like you, the GOP is done – finished. You speak for them. Keep it up with the "givers and the takers and the moochers," etc. YOU are YOUR ILK are our best weapon from the left. Thanks!
Scalebalancer

November 20, 2012 at 4:03 pm

Interestng post. I have zero issues about black friday. Key word Friday. Opening 8 pm Thursday, i do. Yes i know you will scream its business sense and well everyone else is. To quote a child, if everyone jumped off a bridge. However no one would open unless the customer was there, and UNTIL that changes…GOOD BYE THANKSGIVING……SO YOU CAN GET 1/2 OFF
AD Ballou

November 23, 2012 at 8:14 pm

As a person who liked Black Friday…..I don't like the sales hitting on Thanksgiving day & evening….The choice is easy I don't go to the sales and therefore won't go to that store the rest of the season for putting me in the position of having to make a choice between enjoying the day and evening with family and friends or go to their sale….Why don't they give it and us a break don't start the sales before midnight! I won't be missing any sales later because everyone has price matching now…. And by the way 34% less early shoppers this year because they pushed it into Thanksgiving! So I am not alone in this….
James

December 11, 2012 at 2:14 am

If corporate goons had to actually show up and sacrifice time with their families too, there would be no beef. This isn't about being thankful for a job, or profits…this is about right and wrong. Think about it.
EDWARD

December 15, 2012 at 11:35 am

IN A SOCIETY WHERE EVERY STREET IS LOADED WITH GUNS , AND EVERY TV IS LOADED WITH FILMS SHOWING KILLINGS, SADISM AND MOST STRANGE REALIZATION OF SAVAGERY IS SOMETHING NORMAL! PARENTS HAVING GUNS AT HOME ,..[ ASKING FOR TROUBLE ].. WHAT DOES ONE EXPECT?? AS LONG AS GUNS AND OWNERSHIP IS LEGAL!!! JUSTIFIED AS A TOOL FOR PROTECTION !! AMERICA WILL BE THE HOLDER OF RECORDS OF KILLINGS ON THIS PLANET !! IN NO CIVILIZED COUNTRY ONE CAN HEAR THAT EVEN THE CRIMINALS HAVE KILLED 2O OR MORE CHILDREN !! THE HIGHEST RATE IS 3-4 BUT NOT 20!! IN ANIMAL COUNTRIES [ KILLINGS ARE JUSTIFIED ] UNDER REVOLUTION ! HOW COME IN A PEACEFUL COUNTRY LIKE AMERICA STILL CHILDREN CRIME AND KILLINGS ARE SO HIGH IN STATISTICS?? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE… GUNS BELONG TO POLICE AND MILITARY ONLY NOT PUBLIC!! Go to China and or Germany then one can learn what safety Looks like !! ONE CAN BE SAFE 24 HOURS DAILY ! IN MEMORY OF THE VICTIMS I HOPE THE LAWS WILL CHANGE. FOR AMERICA ITS BETTER DAYS