Since Kmart announced they will be opening at 6am on Thanksgiving morning, the haters have been coming out of the woodwork criticizing the retail giant for their decision. I can't figure out why. Yes, working Thanksgiving sucks, same for Christmas or any other family oriented holiday, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to feed your family and make a living. Where is it it written that employers have to allow employees to be off on certain days and for certain events? Guess what, they don't.

Kmart also announced they will be using volunteers and seasonal workers to fill as much of that as they can, but the fact is, if you want to work at Kmart, you might have to work on Thanksgiving. There are many professions that operate 24/7 365 days a year. Sometimes in life and even at work, we have to do things we would rather not.

Before you start saying things like, "well fine, then YOU work on Thanksgiving and I'll spend the day with my family!" I HAVE worked many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays over my almost 30 year career in radio and I knew that going in. Did I want to work on those days? No, but someone had to and more often than not, I drew the short straw.

Employers have to do whatever they feel is necessary to stay competitive and sometimes things like this happen, but it is not the end of the world. There are ways for people to get their off-time to coincide with events and celebrations...certainly not in every case, but it can be done.

Time with family, especially on holidays is priceless and nobody in their right mind would ever dispute that, but having to work Thanksgiving is not the end of the world. There really are worse things in this life. I certainly don't want to work on Thanksgiving, but if I have to, I will.

Lastly, let me make one thing very clear. I am NOT defending Kmart's decision to open on Thanksgiving morning, but I AM defending their RIGHT to make that decision if they so choose. By saying they don't have the right to make people work on Thanksgiving, you're also saying they don't have the right to do what is in their best interest, but they do.

We ALL have the right to do what we believe is in our best interest and the best interest of our families and the ones closest to us.......within the confines of the law of course. Happy Thanksgiving and don't worry.....it'll be alright......it really will.

 

 

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