In Defense of the Disgruntled Workers

In response to the Target workers actually speaking up about the absurd new demands put upon them for Black Friday, there have been many people saying these workers should just shut up and deal with it. It comes with the territory after all, it's not like they're not the only ones working on the holidays, they should just leave if they don't like it, and isn't that when stores should be open anyway?

It is true that when one gets a job in retail hell, he or she usually knows that their hours will be less than convenient. When you apply for a job in retail or food service they usually won't even consider you unless you say you can work nights, weekends, and holidays on your application. Getting even a minimum wage job is highly competitive these days.

So yes, these people are happy to have some source of income, it's better than no job at all. And these people stay in their jobs because they know there isn't much else out there; getting a new job is tough. Most of them are probably trying to get better jobs but it's difficult when the job you have doesn't give you much time or energy for a job search, never mind interviews. And of course there's always a risk involved when you leave your job, that you've had for a while, for a new job that might not work out. So while no one's putting a gun to these workers' heads and forcing them to take and keep these jobs, it's hardly a choice when there are no better options. Not to mention that when someone is desperate for work, he or she is likely to agree to any number of crazy or unfair labor demands at first, thinking "I need the money. How hard can it be?" Yes, there are people lining up for those jobs, and workers are easily replaceable (the concept of company loyalty is a thing of the past for many of these retail corporations), but is that any reason to prevent people from speaking up when they're being treated unfairly?

It is true that some jobs do require people to work during holidays. Nurses, policemen, firefights, toll booth operators, they all have to work because they perform essential services. This is not the same as retail. Retail is not an essential service, and it's certainly not vital for a store to be open at 1am the day after Thanksgiving. No one NEEDS to be buying Christmas presents then, but they do because they want to save money, or because it's a family tradition. Even then, retailers don't need to have those deals at 4am; they can have them in the morning when they usually open like with regular door buster deals. Also, while there are certainly professions that require people to work on holidays, these jobs usually pay a good amount and they're jobs people aspire to, knowing the sacrifices they will make. Again, no one chooses retail; most people only resort to it because it's better than having no job at all.

Yes, stores need people to work on Black Friday, and it's fine for them to extend their hours a little bit during the holiday season so people can buy presents, but there's a point at which this is all getting out of hand. Part of these extended hours during the season are to cater to customer needs and demands, but a lot of why the hours get so crazy is because companies simply want to get a leg up on the competition. One store is open until 11pm, so their competitor stays open until midnight. One store opens at 4am on Black Friday, so naturally their competitor opens at 3am. It's not that people want to get up ridiculously early, and fight their hangovers so they can shop at 3am, but they get there early because that's when the doors open and that's when the deals are offered.

Now, these stores could hire extra help to begin working on Black Friday or during Thanksgiving so their more experienced and respected employees could be home with their families. However, it takes time to go through resumes and interviews and actually hire people, plus training is an expense since they're basically paying a new hire to observe rather than do anything productive.

Finally, before you judge these workers for complaining about having to work such absurd hours, take a walk in their shoes. Not your old retail-working shoes you wore decades ago when you were in college, I mean their shoes. Retail corporations have become greedier in recent years, Black Friday starting earlier and earlier, holiday house getting later and later, and holiday pay shrinking dramatically. Unless you have worked in retail recently, you are in no position to judge these people.