OMM targeting Family Dollar for being open on Christmas

[lilwriter85]

I hadn't checked OMM's site in awhile and I checked it awhile ago when I was waiting for some food to finish in the oven. One of the their most recent targets is Family Dollar stores for being open on Christmas. Subjects like this aren't black and white issue to me. But I think OMM is making a huge deal out of this based on what was written on their site.

Family Dollar Stores - Christmas greed at its worst

This Christmas, Family Dollar Stores is breaking new ground by opening some of its stores on Christmas morning. All other major discount retailers (Fred's, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.) are honoring families by remaining closed to allow employees to spend time with their children.

The Dollar is more important than the family In an internal memo received by OneMillionMoms, Family Dollar shamelessly shows corporate greed is behind the decision: "Only 2 people working per store on Christmas day. Each store needs to do $1100 in sales in order to break even, this is why we only have 2 people working."

This means on Christmas morning, while Family Dollar executives are sitting around the Christmas tree with their families, their employees will be leaving their children at home, just to make a few paltry dollars for the company.

A great many of Family Dollar employees are mothers, many of them single parents. Shame on Family Dollar for breaking up families on Christmas morning!

TAKE ACTION

Urge Family Dollar to reverse this injustice to hard working employees…and to Christmas! Let's stop the corporate greed of Family Dollar before it starts!

If Family Dollar opens its doors this Christmas, it will open the floodgates to other discount retailers doing the same. In a few short years, Christmas Day will give way to full-blown corporate greed.

Let Family Dollar know, in no uncertain terms, if it opens its doors on Christmas Day, you will take your business elsewhere!

It irks me that OMM acts like Family Dollar is damaging their employees' lives by having them work on Christmas. I worked on a Christmas one year and it wasn't the end of the world for me or my family. I don't have kids, but my parents understood that I wouldn't be around on Christmas during the day. OMM also acts like all families have the same Christmas traditions. I know several families that open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas night. Some families do modify traditions if work or other circumstances happen.

OMM also acts like other retailers are going to do the same thing. Again some retailers do have commitments to not being open on certain holidays and I doubt other retailers will follow Family Dollar's lead, if they choose to have locations open on Christmas. Their decisions will likely be influenced by other reasons.

Edited to add link.

http://www.onemillionmoms.com/IssueDetail.asp?id=429

[fundiefan]

I'm often surprised, although I don't know why, at how many people get all offended and pissed at things that have absolutely nothing to do with them.

I worked on Christmas a lot before I was married - I was a waitress at a banquet hall and made awesome money working holiday brunches - and I wouldn't mind doing so now. My family celebrates the holiday on the 24th. I am home today, reading a new book I got from my mom. Later I'm going to a friend's house for the football game. That's my Christmas Day. If I had a job that were open today, I'd gladly be there. And it wouldn't take a damn thing away from 'what Christmas is all about'. Not everyone celebrates Christmas anyway. There are all kinds of people with nothing going on today, but they can't go anywhere because everything is closed.

I hope none of those so offended have any kind of emergency today. It would have to suck to need a doctor to be at the hospital, yet be pissed that he is working and ruining the meaning of Christmas and all that.

[ilovetchotchkes]

I hadn't checked OMM's site in awhile and I checked it awhile ago when I was waiting for some food to finish in the oven. One of the their most recent targets is Family Dollar stores for being open on Christmas. Subjects like this aren't black and white issue to me. But I think OMM is making a huge deal out of this based on what was written on their site.

It irks me that OMM acts like Family Dollar is damaging their employees' lives by having them work on Christmas. I worked on a Christmas one year and it wasn't the end of the world for me or my family. I don't have kids, but my parents understood that I wouldn't be around on Christmas during the day. OMM also acts like all families have the same Christmas traditions. I know several families that open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas night. Some families do modify traditions if work or other circumstances happen.

OMM also acts like other retailers are going to do the same thing. Again some retailers do have commitments to not being open on certain holidays and I doubt other retailers will follow Family Dollar's lead, if they choose to have locations open on Christmas. Their decisions will likely be influenced by other reasons.

Or *GASP* most companies (don't know if Family dollar is one) offer time and 1/2 for working on a holiday. My husband as the only Jew in his department is getting paid $27 an hour to work last night and all of today.

On the other hand, i can't fathom WHY I would need to go to the dollar store on Christmas day (if I was Christian). Walgreens is open, as is Meijer and probably most chain grocery stores if I needed like, baby tylenol or a last minute ingredient for dinner. Most movie theaters are open, a LOT of people I know, Christian, Jew or otherwise have a tradition of going to a movie every Christmas day afternoon between gifts and Christmas "dinner"

[Crackedeggs]

My father had to work on Christmas quite often, he worked for a public utility company. My pseudohubby is on call quite often on Christmas : people do use the interwebz.

If the stores are taking volunteers for the duty and not forcing people to work, whatever... after all they are pretty low paid.

[lilwriter85]

Or *GASP* most companies (don't know if Family dollar is one) offer time and 1/2 for working on a holiday. My husband as the only Jew in his department is getting paid $27 an hour to work last night and all of today.

On the other hand, i can't fathom WHY I would need to go to the dollar store on Christmas day (if I was Christian). Walgreens is open, as is Meijer and probably most chain grocery stores if I needed like, baby tylenol or a last minute ingredient for dinner. Most movie theaters are open, a LOT of people I know, Christian, Jew or otherwise have a tradition of going to a movie every Christmas day afternoon between gifts and Christmas "dinner"

A friend of mine was paid time and 1/2 one year when he worked Thanksgiving and Christmas day at a movie theater. I also know a couple of families who got to the movies on Christmas as apart of a tradition.

I have relatives who live in a town of about 3,000 people and there is Family Dollar store in the town and it is open pretty much everyday. In the email from Family Dollar, it said that only some stores would be open. My guess is that the stores in smaller towns may be open, while the ones in cities are closed.

[changemanagement]

People like that can't think their way out of a paper bag. In another lifetime, I was a home care aid and a 911 operator. Guess what I and others, including single moms, did on Christmas day?

Of course, getting paid triple time made working Christmas day pretty attractive. It's not like you are there for 24 hours. Sheesh.

Day shift - you are at home early in the morning and back home for dinner.

Afternoon shift - you are home in the morning and don't go in until about 4pm. Have a nice family brunch.

Midnight shift - come home from work, open gifts, eat breakfast or brunch, go to sleep, wake up for dinner, report to work at midnight.

Now, that is very doable. These people who whine about bullshit just need to focus on their own insignificant lives.

[ohmeohmy]

Before I got married and had children, I LOVED working on Christmas. Holiday pay meant I got paid triple time, plus the company I worked for paid us bonuses for volunteering to work Christmas. It was awesome. My husband still has to work on Christmas, as he works for a hospital and those don't shut down for such things as Sundays and Christian holidays.

What would happen if one of these fundies or their family required medical attention during one of their super speshul sacred days? Tell them to wait 24 hours? Request that all hospitals shut down and send all patients home so no one was defiling the sacred day of Christmas by working? Or do they think those who work on Christmas should just not get paid?

Because my husband was at work today and wasn't home to help, I had an incredibly hectic morning getting my toddler and preschooler fed, cleaned, dressed, combed and out the door to church while they were trying to play with their presents they opened last night (which made it a late and loooong night). I sang praises to God Starbucks was open on my way home because I NEEDED that coffee! :dance:

[ohmeohmy]

People like that can't think their way out of a paper bag. In another lifetime, I was a home care aid and a 911 operator. Guess what I and others, including single moms, did on Christmas day?

Of course, getting paid triple time made working Christmas day pretty attractive. It's not like you are there for 24 hours. Sheesh.

Day shift - you are at home early in the morning and back home for dinner.

Afternoon shift - you are home in the morning and don't go in until about 4pm. Have a nice family brunch.

Midnight shift - come home from work, open gifts, eat breakfast or brunch, go to sleep, wake up for dinner, report to work at midnight.

Now, that is very doable. These people who whine about bullshit just need to focus on their own insignificant lives.

I wish! My husband works 7am-7pm today. Which is why we did gifts and dinner with family yesterday. Problem solved and my kids don't care which day Santa came, as long as he did!

[snarkbillie]

When I worked hourly I loved working on Christmas. Double time and a half and I didn't have to spend ALL DAY with my family? Great! My husband worked last year on Christmas for double time and a half. The kids and I survived. We just did presents when he got home.

[doggie]

are they sending letters to all public transportation services all police forces all gas stations and chinese restaurants? waht is the point of singling out one buisness. what abotu the 7 11's???

[pixydust]

It irks me that OMM acts like Family Dollar is damaging their employees' lives by having them work on Christmas. I worked on a Christmas one year and it wasn't the end of the world for me or my family. I don't have kids, but my parents understood that I wouldn't be around on Christmas during the day. OMM also acts like all families have the same Christmas traditions. I know several families that open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas night. Some families do modify traditions if work or other circumstances happen.

Hell, I'm at work right now! We do Christmas on Christmas Eve (the kids wake up in the AM, and storm the tree like normal little heathens), and I normally work on Sat, so here I am today.....and completely ALONE! It's kind of awesome, haha!

Seriously, not everyone does Christmas (I'm Jewish, that's why I don't give a rats tuckus when we do it) or does it the same way. I'm sure that there are plenty of people who would love to switch another holiday and work Christmas.

[lilwriter85]

are they sending letters to all public transportation services all police forces all gas stations and chinese restaurants? waht is the point of singling out one buisness. what abotu the 7 11's???

I do find it odd that they are only targeting Family Dollar and not other retailers who have some locations open on Christmas.

[Deleted07]

A great many of Family Dollar employees are mothers, many of them single parents.

I REALLY despite the generalization that the magority of people that work at chain stores are single Mothers. I for one work at a chain store for 7 years now, and it really does irk me how many people think this, often to the point of being honestly shocked when I tell them I am Single, with no kids and especially *shock horror* choose to work there because 1. its good money and 2. the shifts aren't bad and 3. its not hard work!

I like working the holiday times, I get time and a half on sundays, double and sometimes TRIPLE time on public holidays depending on what day the holiday falls, for instance this year being Sunday AND a public Holiday I got triple, and only worked 5 hours... It was QUIET as, except for a few people who don't celebrate, or who needed a few extra's things, and it was pleasant to work, know I was getting GREAT money.

Fact is many people who work these jobs are probably getting as much, if not more than a lot of people working other mainstream jobs and actually are definitely getting more than nurses or teachers, who actually do deserve decent wages!!!

I just despite the fact that these jobs are seen as so 'menial', and for the 'poorer' section of our society's people, like the 'poor single mother'. Fact is at my store all the people we have working are either college students, working mothers with husbands, and actually a LOT of the husbands work at the store too, its actually a family environment, we even had a mother, father and their daughter who was at college all working at one point for us!

Anyways... RANT/OFF sorry, its just something that does indeed irk me!

[smittykins]

My late husband worked at a convenience store when we first married, and worked either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I accepted it as the nature of the business, and besides, he was home for a late dinner. No big effin deal.

[Jezebel]

This Christmas, Family Dollar Stores is breaking new ground by opening some of its stores on Christmas morning. All other major discount retailers (Fred's, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc.) are honoring families by remaining closed to allow employees to spend time with their children.

The Dollar is more important than the family In an internal memo received by OneMillionMoms, Family Dollar shamelessly shows corporate greed is behind the decision: "Only 2 people working per store on Christmas day. Each store needs to do $1100 in sales in order to break even, this is why we only have 2 people working."

This means on Christmas morning, while Family Dollar executives are sitting around the Christmas tree with their families, their employees will be leaving their children at home, just to make a few paltry dollars for the company.

Were I a Family Dollar employee, I would have volunteered to work for a few hours on Christmas morning--even if it meant working at a different store than my usual one. Why? Because I'm not a Christian and don't celebrate Christmas, that's why. Nor do I have children. So I would have gladly agreed to do it so a co-worker with kids could stay home and watch them open presents (ETA: or even so so a Christian could attend church). And it's not too much of a stretch for me to imagine that some actual Family Dollar employees feel likewise.

This morning, I filled in at my volunteer position for a similar reason. Now I'm going to drive up to see my mom and eat a pork roast (or as much of it as I can manage), in celebration of the fact that our all-too-short days are getting longer again.

[anniebgood]

My husband is on call for a security company. 7AM the phone rings and he has to drive out to the ends of the San Fernando Valley because some numbnutz tried to break into 2 grocery stores. Am I happy he missed church? No. But it's triple time and it helps keep food in the fridge. We'll open our gifts this afternoon at my moms.

Are they going to go after the airlines that schedule ZOMG flights on the 25th?

What about the hospitals?

What about the movies? If there were no movies, where would my Jewish friends be today? For real. We were sitting down the other night going over choices.

What about Denny's and 7-11? They never close.

[koolmom]

This group is obnoxious. Wonder if they also concern themselves with the dismally low pay these places mete out (my sister worked at one for several years), working conditions or even why women with families are forced by economics to work (there) in the first place? Guess they could care less about that kind of boring stuff -- idiots.

[1004srs]

My kids are at their Dad's house. I wouldn't mind working today.

We celebrated Christmas last night as a family - went to church, opened presents.

[notsocommon]

All this fuss over a holiday that 1) isn't even Jesus' actual birthday and 2) we are ever told to observe.

[lilwriter85]

I REALLY despite the generalization that the magority of people that work at chain stores are single Mothers. I for one work at a chain store for 7 years now, and it really does irk me how many people think this, often to the point of being honestly shocked when I tell them I am Single, with no kids and especially *shock horror* choose to work there because 1. its good money and 2. the shifts aren't bad and 3. its not hard work!

I like working the holiday times, I get time and a half on sundays, double and sometimes TRIPLE time on public holidays depending on what day the holiday falls, for instance this year being Sunday AND a public Holiday I got triple, and only worked 5 hours... It was QUIET as, except for a few people who don't celebrate, or who needed a few extra's things, and it was pleasant to work, know I was getting GREAT money.

Fact is many people who work these jobs are probably getting as much, if not more than a lot of people working other mainstream jobs and actually are definitely getting more than nurses or teachers, who actually do deserve decent wages!!!

I just despite the fact that these jobs are seen as so 'menial', and for the 'poorer' section of our society's people, like the 'poor single mother'. Fact is at my store all the people we have working are either college students, working mothers with husbands, and actually a LOT of the husbands work at the store too, its actually a family environment, we even had a mother, father and their daughter who was at college all working at one point for us!

Anyways... RANT/OFF sorry, its just something that does indeed irk me!

There is no need for you to apologize. I was also irked about that generalization about most retail employees being single moms. I worked at a grocery store during my freshman and sophomore years of college and I remember the employees came from different backgrounds. There were more college students working at the store than they were single moms. I remember some of the part time cashiers and deli workers were people in their 50's and 60's. who had retired from previous professions, but still desired being out and working even if it was part time. This grocery store was the placed that I worked at on Christmas one year and a couple of the part time cashiers did cover shifts for some people.

[clibbyjo]

I have to go to my inlaws in 15 minutes. I will volunteer to work at any Dollar Store RIGHT NOW for free. Please, let me work for you!

[pomology]

I'm often surprised, although I don't know why, at how many people get all offended and pissed at things that have absolutely nothing to do with them.

I worked on Christmas a lot before I was married - I was a waitress at a banquet hall and made awesome money working holiday brunches - and I wouldn't mind doing so now. My family celebrates the holiday on the 24th. I am home today, reading a new book I got from my mom. Later I'm going to a friend's house for the football game. That's my Christmas Day. If I had a job that were open today, I'd gladly be there. And it wouldn't take a damn thing away from 'what Christmas is all about'. Not everyone celebrates Christmas anyway. There are all kinds of people with nothing going on today, but they can't go anywhere because everything is closed.

I hope none of those so offended have any kind of emergency today. It would have to suck to need a doctor to be at the hospital, yet be pissed that he is working and ruining the meaning of Christmas and all that.

We have a family friend who is a physician and Jewish and she's always on call or works (not sure which) on Christmas, because it's no big deal to her. Of course, it would probably offend these types just as much that they are being treated by a Jew and a woman, so...

[Stickers]

I can't wait until I get some kind of a job so I can work on all the holidays. I literally do not emotionally comprehend why it's so important for people to do something on the same date every year :D I'd love the opportunity to get paid overtime or just get in good graces with the bosses.

But I know in their perfect world, the world they're trying to force on us, we would all be good fundie Christians and celebrate Christmas in the same fundie Christian way :?

[bionicmlle]

I think it could be a real blessing for those employees to get to work- many people need to eek out all the hours they can get...

People like OMM are so self centered and have no ability to see the circumstances of others. I work with a guy like this - he refuses to work on his day of worship but.... He is a physician!! We ALL have to take some weekends and holidays and his speshul snowflakeyness causes a hell of a lot of problems.

[Kelya]

Were I a Family Dollar employee, I would have volunteered to work for a few hours on Christmas morning--even if it meant working at a different store than my usual one. Why? Because I'm not a Christian and don't celebrate Christmas, that's why. Nor do I have children. So I would have gladly agreed to do it so a co-worker with kids could stay home and watch them open presents (ETA: or even so so a Christian could attend church). And it's not too much of a stretch for me to imagine that some actual Family Dollar employees feel likewise.

My Aunties works in a hospital and does this every year- she'll work the night shift on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so that people with small kids can have the time off. We've adapted our Christmas traditions to fit into the 8-11am and 5-7pm so she can do this, and it works out great for us and for her coworkers, a lot of who tend to be young and have small children, whereas she celebrates with us, where we're all in our 20s.