Missouri legislator wants to keep retailers closed on Thanksgiving

Link to news source

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri Democratic lawmaker plans to introduce legislation to keep most retailers from opening on Thanksgiving.
Barnhart representative Jeff Roorda said early Black Friday shopping shouldn't ruin the Thanksgiving dinners of workers. Roorda's proposal would keep Black Friday on Friday.
"This isn't about hurting retailers. It's about putting them all on a level playing field, and they can all throw their doors open on midnight on Thanksgiving," Roorda said.
He said his Thanksgiving Family Protection Act would exempt restaurants, gas stations and drug stores.
"If we allow them to keep a leapfrogging one another to see who can get the earliest Black Friday sale, then Thanksgiving becomes Black Friday Eve instead of one of the most important family holidays," he said.

Roorda hopes when Thanksgiving comes around next year Missouri will join only three other states -- Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine -- in banning big box stores from opening on Thanksgiving.

Mod, feel free to tow to PS if you see fit, but let's try to talk about it from a family-value perspective and hopefully stay its course before "Dems say, Reps say".

Opening a store at 8pm means people need to get to work way ahead. My family hosted a dinner and one of them had to leave early just to shop (the honey-do list) for his wife whose out of town.

That's a toughy. On one hand I like the idea - I thought some of the 8pm sales were absurd and feel bad for the employees. I also think it's good not to have people leaving their families so early on the holidays to go get $50 off.

But really, it's the retailer's choice what their operating hours should be. If enough employees push back maybe they'll get the idea, but I hate doing these things through regulations even if I detest the practice.

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What about ppl who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, why should they be not allowed to work/make $$? As long as retailer compensates its workers and doesn't overstep whatever general regulations exist about work hours or local codes, they should be allowed to open doors any day & time they want.

Originally Posted by smyles

What about ppl who don't celebrate Thanksgiving, why should they be not allowed to work/make $$? As long as retailer compensates its workers and doesn't overstep whatever general regulations exist about work hours or local codes, they should be allowed to open doors any day & time they want.

You are obviously oblivious to the term " holiday pay" which is the instance you get paid for an 8 hour shift, but you don;t have to work it.


So the outrage is not getting to WORK the hours you get paid for? !?!?




simps.....

Government should not regulate this. People should regulate this.

I do not shop on Thanksgiving unless it is an emergency (needing something right now from the pharmacy, etc). Hence, I do my part to send a message to retailers that opening the store makes no sense. If enough people do not shop on Thanksgiving, stores will be closed.

Simple. Regulation here is silly.

Originally Posted by SWISS

You are obviously oblivious to the term " holiday pay" which is the instance you get paid for an 8 hour shift, but you don;t have to work it.

So the outrage is not getting to WORK the hours you get paid for? !?!?

simps.....

Serious? Talk about oblivious. Most retail positions don't have holiday pay unless you're working and you might get time and a half if you're lucky. If you don't work that day, it's simply a day without pay.

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Originally Posted by SWISS

You are obviously oblivious to the term " holiday pay" which is the instance you get paid for an 8 hour shift, but you don;t have to work it.


So the outrage is not getting to WORK the hours you get paid for? !?!?




simps.....

Retailers have this?????

Originally Posted by SWISS

You are obviously oblivious to the term " holiday pay" which is the instance you get paid for an 8 hour shift, but you don;t have to work it.


So the outrage is not getting to WORK the hours you get paid for? !?!?




simps.....

Lol. Fail...

Originally Posted by e36Phantom

Serious? Talk about oblivious. Most retail positions don't have holiday pay unless you're working and you might get time and a half if you're lucky. If you don't work that day, it's simply a day without pay.

Is Sprint a retailer?

They are closed on the big 4 federal holidays... If you are talking the grocery or CS's then most of the time employees would...brace yourselves.... REQUEST to work the holiday solely because of the pay differential. Employees that are off are paid for 8 hours, those that work earn double pay or more.

In our call centers employees that worked during thanksgiving dinner were paid the highest %. Also some families do lunch, and others do dinner. This presents management with a bit more variables to consider in schedule, but most often employees are not disenfranchised of their TG dinner with their family if at all possible. Although I'm sure it does happen unfortunately some times.

What happens in your call centers not necessarily represents the common practice... and it doesn't.

I don't live in Missouri. What they do in their state does not affect me.

Turkey and pies. Yum!