Sunday shifts?

Ronald Castillo5 said:You know the absolute worst part about working on Sunday? Everyone else is out living their lives—road trips, parties, whatever—while you’re stuck rotting in some damn convenience store.

Just a tragic case of a total social misfit. Some people call them "airheads." Their view of reality is completely warped; everything is either black or white to them. 🙂

What can I say? She was basically working in a vacuum. <-- past tense for a reason

Did you get rejected? Look, even if you didn't, you probably should have. If you were working for me, you wouldn't last a week, and your boss would be out of a job right along with you for hiring you in the first place.

People like you just kill the vibe wherever you go. Is someone maybe paying you just to be miserable?

Jeremy Flores10 said:Do you know what the absolute worst part about working on Sundays is? It’s that everyone else is out enjoying themselves, going on trips and having fun, while you’re stuck grinding away in some damn store!

But tell me, would you really be sitting there reading the newspaper every single day? And don't you ever stop to wonder who is working hard on Fridays and Saturdays just so those papers can be waiting for you at the newsstand every morning? Yet, you find yourself pitying the retail workers who have to work on Sunday! (For what it's worth, I am one of those workers, and I'm working today too!). Why isn't anyone advocating for a law that would prohibit newspapers from being sold on Sunday?
Or perhaps we should consider our phones or the internet, since there always needs to be someone on duty to keep everything running smoothly... and those people are surely underpaid as well, wouldn't you agree?

Hell, why shouldn't we just pass a law to ban Sunday work entirely?????😁

P.S.
But in all seriousness......I am just so incredibly happy that, in a country that is supposedly secular, they aren't trying to push through legislation based on religious whims! Hallelujah!

So, a few nights ago, I was sitting around with some coworkers debating this exact topic:
1) The whole concept is discriminatory and fundamentally flawed. If you implement Sunday closing laws, you have to apply them across the board. That means no trains, no buses, no ambulances, no phones, no TV—nothing. The entire country grinds to a halt and everyone stays home. We all know that’s impossible in practice. Therefore, the very premise of banning Sunday work is logically broken.

2) At the end of the day, people have freedom of choice. If you don't want to work on Sunday, find a job where you won't have to. If an employer tells you they need you for both Saturday and Sunday, they aren't asking for 40 hours anymore; they're asking for 56. But they’ll pay you $500 more for it. Whether you accept those terms is entirely up to you. I knew a waitress once who worked four shifts for $600. She eventually snapped, quit, and took a job at a local diner where she works every single damn day of the week for $933. When I asked her why she made the switch, she told me those extra $333 meant everything to her, and she preferred them over having 8 extra hours of free time. Bottom line: if someone doesn't want to work Sundays, they should find another job instead of whining about a smaller paycheck.

3) Then there’s the Labor Law. Its purpose is to ensure fairness in the employer-employee relationship. It sets the standards for those who don't have the power to negotiate their own working conditions. If the Labor Law states that Sunday work earns 200% more than a regular weekday, then that worker must receive that 200% bump. This is where I see Jeremy Flores10's point. If you are forced to work on Sunday because your boss demands it, then it makes sense to treat it as a special case. And that is exactly what needs to be regulated by the Labor Law and enforced by Labor Inspection. Honestly, what's stopping you from reporting your boss... anonymously? Just don't play both sides while the inspectors are walking through the door pretending everything is great.

I caught a Democratic Party member talking about this issue the other night. I have to admit, I agree with her on almost every point.

goldberry said:Oh, so you’d certainly be reading the paper every single day, wouldn't you? You don't seem to stop and wonder who is working through Friday and Saturday just to ensure those papers hit the stands daily, yet you're quick to complain about retailers forced to work on Sunday! (Well, I happen to be working today!). Why aren't you advocating for a law that would ban newspapers from being sold on Sundays?

There is a rather clever nuance regarding newspapers—they have always effectively operated on Sundays because they are produced a day in advance. In that sense, Saturday was the actual day of rest, while Sunday functioned as a standard workday.

It was only when we introduced on-call shifts for other staff that Sunday editions became possible. Consequently, printing now occurs seven days a week instead of six, which fundamentally reshapes the entire labor schedule for everyone involved in news production. Now, and only now, is it actually possible for me to occasionally have a Sunday off, simply whenever it happens to fall as a break in the rotation.

Implementing Sunday closing laws for shops and newsstands will inevitably lead to the death of Sunday newspapers—which, ironically, means every Sunday becomes a workday again.

Look, I’m not saying I’m totally against Sunday closing laws, but please, just think about this for a second before you jump to conclusions about how we "need" essential services or that nobody works on Sundays. That's just plain stupid. Just give it some thought.

But seriously, I have just one question for all of you. Remember back in the day when people used to travel over to Austria, Italy, and places like that? Did you actually go shopping there on a Sunday, or was everything shut down? Like, up until the 90s, were stores even open or closed?
If we’re talking about banning stores from working on Sunday, then why wouldn't we ban cafes too? I was recently in a country where cafes would close by 3 PM, if not earlier—and imagine, that was on a SUNDAY. Can you even imagine the absolute disaster that would be here?
I mean, it’s not even the point, but buses, trams, the police, doctors—they *have* to work on Sunday because you literally can't survive without them. Think about it: you need to go visit someone, you don't have a car, and there's no bus or tram running. Or imagine a burglar breaks into your house and you can't call the police because it's Sunday and they aren't working. Or you get sick on a Sunday and you need a doctor to recover. Or the firefighters... there's your answer right there for why they have to work on Sunday. Applying that same logic to retail stores or cafes? Not so sure about that.

Brandon Newman95 said:I’m not saying we need to work on Sundays, but don't act like essential services aren't necessary or that nobody works then. That's just silly. Think about it.

But I have one question for everyone. Remember when people used to travel to Austria or Italy? Did you actually go shopping there on a Sunday, or was everything shut down? Up until the 90s, were stores even open or closed?
If we ban stores from working on Sundays, why not cafes too? I was recently in a country where cafes closed by 3 PM—if not earlier—and that was on a SUNDAY. Imagine how much of a disaster that would be here in the States.
It’s not even the point, really. Buses, trams, police, doctors—they all have to work on Sunday because life doesn't stop. Imagine needing to visit someone but you don't have a car and the bus isn't running. Or if a burglar breaks into your house and you can't call the police because it's Sunday and they're off. Or if you get sick and need a doctor. Firefighters definitely need to work on Sundays, so that's my answer for them, but for retail and cafes, it's a different story.

Then just go live in Vatican City if things are so bad in America. Not just you, either, but everyone complaining. The law exists and it needs to be enforced. Like someone already told you, if you don't want to work on Sunday, don't. Find a job where you have weekends off and that's that. Because I, like most good citizens, am certainly not going to let you tell me how to spend my time, or whether "my" store, "my property," and my idea should be open or not. The law decides that, and the law says it will be open.
Go pick up a book and learn about free will and choice, you and everyone else like you. 🙂 😁 👋

Brandon Newman95 said:I have just one question for everyone here. You all remember those trips we used to take to places like Austria or Italy. When you were there, did you ever actually try to go shopping on a Sunday, or was everything shut tight? I mean, back before 1990—were the stores open or closed?

To be specific regarding Trieste—the shops stayed open on Sunday but remained closed on Monday. People tend to focus solely on the business aspect...

Brandon Newman95, if you call it "Sunday closing laws," you're mislabeling the whole concept. It’s a lie. That police officer is working on a Sunday, isn't he? And he’s getting paid for it. This guy on TV? He isn't an essential worker like a cop, a doctor, or a bus driver. We’d all love to catch a football game or a decent movie in the afternoon, but someone still has to staff the place.

It should be called "Retail and restaurant operating restrictions" or something similar. Calling it anything else is just dishonest.

I always hear the best arguments, like, "Oh, we need Sunday closing laws to protect workers being forced by their bosses to work." Well, let me ask you this: what if I actually *wanted* to work on a Sunday for a premium rate? These laws are stripping away my choice.

How would you feel if you were kicked out of a club or a bar at midnight on Saturday just because they aren't open on Sunday? My take is simple: pay those servers double what they make on a weekday. Let them decide for themselves whether they want to pick up the shift or not.

quietlynx7 said:Just some unfortunate case of social ineptitude. Some people call it being "clueless." Their perception of reality is totally warped. They see everything in black and white—it's either all or nothing. 🙂

What can I even say? She *worked* at Magma.
What, did you get screwed over? Look, even if you didn't deserve it, if you were working for me, you wouldn't last a day, and your boss would probably get canned right along with you just for hiring someone like you.

People like you just kill the vibe wherever they go. Is someone maybe paying you just to be miserable?

Something tells me the person who wrote this hasn't spent a single damn day on the job.

Retail is one of those industries in America where employees get paid peanuts while the owners rake in massive profits.

Speaking of Magma, let me give you an example: One of the cashiers at the Turbo Center over in Zitnjak had Fizulic come in just to mess with her, throwing out these creepy, suggestive comments. He pissed her off so much she absolutely tore him a new one. And guess what? She got fired for it, and they demanded an apology under threat of legal action. I can't remember every little detail, but somehow the girl actually ended up going back to work later.

We were doing inventory once. We stayed at the company for over twenty-four hours straight without a break. To "refresh" us, Fizulic brought in some sodas he got through a trade deal, but they were already expired. Do I even need to ask if we got paid for any of that?

One day, right before Christmas, Fizulic announced that all paychecks were being frozen indefinitely. Instead of actual money, we got vouchers that could only be used to buy stuff from his own stores. My "paycheck" ended up being a Timberland jacket that was (five years ago) on sale for 40% off $467, a shirt, some pants, and I actually had to cough up extra cash just for socks. Man, if he’d at least given us vouchers for groceries, that would be one thing, but instead, he forced us to clear out his boutique stock that nobody wanted because it was overpriced as hell.

I had already left Magma by the time the union tried to move in, but I heard there was a massive purge of anyone who supported them. And so on and so forth.

Whenever someone brings up the Labor Law, or any other regulation, you have to keep in mind this is America and laws here aren't always followed.

Don't talk about retail working conditions unless you've actually worked in retail. If you're still just a student or an intern, you'll face the brutal reality of the American labor market soon enough, and I'm pretty sure you'll suddenly drop this arrogant attitude.

Brandon Newman95 said:Look, first off, I don't work on Sundays, and I’m definitely not Jeremy Flores10 who was posting about working Sundays. I know what people are saying, and there’s truth to it. Sarah James4, how can you judge this when you don't even live here in the States, but out in France? Yeah, I'm unhappy here, but do you really think it would be better elsewhere? Maybe, maybe not. I'm actively looking for a job where I don't have to work weekends. I'm not sure if stores in France stay open on Sundays, but if they do, I bet they get double pay. The issue here is that people working at Walmart or Dino are making $500. And you know who benefited most from no Sunday work? The folks over at Walmart—Todorić. Just imagine how much those workers at Diona had to deal with, working 7 AM to 9 PM every day, and then 7 AM to 6 PM on Sundays, all for minimum wage. And then people like you come along to lecture me? 😠 🙂 You should go grab a book on human rights and actually read them. It's wild how these massive retail chains jump at the chance to work here, yet back home where their headquarters are, they won't even try. What do you think is happening? They're probably dodging taxes and stuff like that. For sure.

I don't know you or Jeremy Flores10. If you took that as an insult, that's on you. I was just giving my "radical opinion"—basically an emotional reaction to the topic. Everyone on this forum sees the problem more or less. People aren't getting paid fairly, and we aren't idiots or monsters; we're talking about money people aren't receiving. But it's also about the law and following it. My mom wasn't paid extra for working weekends or holidays either, so I know the situation firsthand. I was in that exact same spot until a few years ago. I haven't heard anyone complaining about waiters working Sundays or holidays, or low-paid staff in restaurants. But I do know that if these people got at least the same daily rate they get during the week—since right now they get nothing extra—they'd be "satisfied" just to be paid. That would be the first step, along with getting work hours back to eight hours a day like the Labor Law says. In France, since you asked, the stores are closed. And what does my current life in France have to do with this topic? You think just because I live here I shouldn't have an opinion? Now you're trying to "judge" me and tell me what I can or can't do on this forum.
For things like this, you really ought to "read" the UN Declaration of Human Rights, you know, the one established and celebrated every year on December 10th.

Ok, they were closed at least one workday, but they won't be closed here. Here, they'll be open from dawn till dusk. And I'm sure they were well compensated for working on Sundays.

I totally agree with this, but it won't happen here, not with the way the Labor Law is written, not with the employers, and the Church isn't going to force people to show up. As far as I know, cafes have the same restrictions, and they don't follow them either. Their hours are limited too, though I'm not sure exactly what they are. 😉

👋

Nicole Morales3 said:We were performing an inventory audit. We stayed at the company for over twenty-four hours straight without a single break. To keep us going, Fizulic brought in some sodas he got through a trade deal, but they were already expired. Do I even need to mention that we weren't paid a dime extra for this?

Why didn't you just go on strike? You know, shut down EVERY single store and plaster the windows with posters explaining why you aren't working. You could have effectively ended the boss's political career right then and there. And let's be honest, there is zero chance that a few hundred of you would end up on unemployment.

The fundamental issue with the American worker is often their refusal to push back. When one out of a hundred people gets fired, the other 99 just think, "Well, at least it wasn't me." If that one person happened to be the manager, they’ll actually think, "Great, now there's an opening with a $100 higher salary." As long as that mindset persists among the workforce, the bosses will continue to rule unchecked.

My sister works in the maritime industry. Out there, if the wages aren't paid, the ship stays docked in the harbor, and if the owner can't scrape the cash together, the vessel gets sold at auction. It's simple: no money, no sailing. They have a unique leverage; there is no scenario where a boss can just find a new crew and start making threats. The union pressure would be so intense that the entire company would essentially collapse.

I was scrolling through the news yesterday and realized just how pathetic we can be. As soon as stores opened up, crowds of people swarmed the shops on their weekend getaways. Seriously, whether they're visiting the Grand Canyon, the Smoky Mountains, or just hanging out in Miami, we have stores open on Sunday now! You see these crowds rushing out of the shop with maybe two items in their bag, acting like it was an absolute emergency—like they absolutely had to buy those things today or they’d drop dead if they waited until tomorrow. Okay, sure, there are definitely times when you actually need something urgently. I've been there myself, running out of bread on Saturday night and needing it for Sunday morning, so I'll dash to the store first thing in the morning. But going out specifically to shop for shoes, clothes, or toys? You’d have to be out of your mind.

goldengull3 said:Why didn't you just go on strike? You know, shut down EVERY single store and plaster posters everywhere explaining why you're staying home? You could have nuked the boss's political career! And there's no way a few hundred of you would end up on unemployment.

The problem with American workers is often that they simply—don't complain. When one out of a hundred gets fired, the other 99 just think, "Well, at least it wasn't me." If that one person was a manager, they'll just think, "Great, now there's an opening with a $100 higher salary." As long as that's the mindset of the workforce, the bosses will keep ruling.

Exactly. And when they actually do speak up, it's such nonsense it makes your head spin. At a company where I used to work, someone reported the employer—anonymously, of course—and the Labor Inspection showed up. Out of 300 people, not a single soul spoke up. Just a bunch of vague, baseless whining. I was standing right there, listening, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Are you being forced to work weekends?
Neeeee
Do you work overtime?
No, we don't.
Do you feel underpaid?
Neeeee (In the background: They're too low)
Do you believe everyone's paychecks are calculated correctly?
Daaaaaaa
Is anyone making less than XXX dollars net?
(Silence...)
Do you think the quotas are unfair?
Daaaaaaa
Alright, let's see what percentage of workers meet their quotas... Oh, 92% meet them? Then how can you claim the quotas are unfair???
(More silence)

Then, once the inspectors left, they started muttering about how they didn't ask the right questions, or how their work gloves were torn, and so on. So the director asked if anyone had reported the worn-out gloves or if they'd received new ones two months ago... He then asked how it was possible to destroy a pair of gloves in just two months. Silence again.

Truth is, nobody mentioned that they'd kept the old gloves for themselves and taken the new ones home just in case they needed them later.

There you have it. That's American workers for you. After that, I stopped listening whenever someone came to me whimpering about how their working conditions are in hell, how their pay is pathetic, or how their bosses screw them because they can't hit their quotas.

Jeremy Flores10 said:I was scrolling through the news yesterday and realized just how pathetic people can be. As soon as stores opened up, huge crowds swarmed the shops on those little weekend getaways. Whether it's heading to the mountains or just a quick trip to the suburbs, we have stores open on Sunday now! You see these crowds rushing out with maybe two items in their bag, acting like it was an absolute emergency. Like they absolutely had to buy it today or they'd drop dead if they waited until tomorrow. Okay, sure. There are definitely times when you really need to grab something. I've definitely had those moments where I ran out of bread on Saturday night and needed it for Sunday morning, so I dash to the store early. But going out to shop for shoes, clothes, or toys? You'd have to be out of your mind...

You’re basically just calling someone else's lifestyle "sick." That's a pretty ignorant way to look at things. Why does it matter if someone just wants to pick up two things at the store? And it doesn't bother you when half your family heads to a pub to grab a beer on Sunday, even though your cigarette smoke is choking the waiters who might not even smoke.

Why do you care how people exercise their own freedom of choice, as long as they aren't infringing on anyone else's?

Who gave you the right to morally judge another person based on whether they choose to work or shop on a Sunday? You essentially just granted that right to yourself, which, like I said, is a classic trait of an ignorant person...

If I decided I didn't want to do anything on a Wednesday, then according to your logic, I could call everyone who works or shops on a Wednesday "mentally ill." Now *that* would actually prove there's something wrong with my brain, but not yours...

Ronald Castillo5 said:Why do you even care how someone exercises their own freedom of choice, as long as they aren't stepping on anyone else's toes?

👍

Exactly. That’s called liberalism, not anarchy. You can do whatever you want right up until it starts messing with someone else. That other person can obviously disagree, but they have the option to just not buy what you're selling.

On the flip side, you can always boycott stores on Sunday. Go ahead, show them exactly why it bugs you. If it turns out people aren't shopping enough on Sunday, maybe the owner will realize keeping the doors open isn't worth the money. In that case, they'll shut down for the day themselves without needing some unconstitutional law to force them.

kaskader said:You’re basically just labeling someone else's lifestyle as "unhealthy." That kind of attitude only comes from an incredibly narrow-minded person. Why should you care if someone decides to pick up a couple of things at the grocery store? It doesn't bother you when half your family heads to a local pub for beers on Sunday, yet you're quick to judge others while your own cigarette smoke is choking out servers who might not even smoke.

Why does it matter how someone exercises their own freedom of choice, provided they aren't infringing on anyone else's?

Who gave you the authority to pass moral judgment on what another person chooses to do or not do on a Sunday? You essentially granted that authority to yourself, which, as I mentioned, is a hallmark of an ignorant mindset.

If I decided I didn't want to do anything on a Wednesday, by your logic, I could claim everyone working or shopping on a Wednesday is mentally unsound. Such a stance would actually prove the mental instability—though in my case.

Do you work on Sundays? And according to your rule, who would even get a day off? Do you realize that federal judges have backlogs lasting two or three years? Entire caseloads expire because there isn't enough time to process them. Well, those judges don't work Saturdays or Sundays. If they worked even 10% more, cases would actually move forward. What makes one profession more valuable than another such that they don't work on Sundays? Think about the wait times at a hospital for an exam—why wouldn't Congress work on Sundays? They're rarely around during the week anyway. Or why not schedule roadwork on the weekends instead of weekdays when city traffic is already a total nightmare?

I haven't caught every single comment in this thread, but someone brought up the supposed "freedom" to buy and sell on Sundays. Here’s the reality: by striking down this law, they haven't actually granted any freedom at all. They've stripped it away. Big-box retailers can't even choose whether or not to stay open on a Sunday; if they opt out while their competitors stay open, they lose market share and go under. And small business owners? They have zero say in the matter. Unfortunately, our labor market is such a disaster right now that there's an endless supply of people waiting at the unemployment office, which means those who actually show up for work have absolutely no leverage. An employer can simply tell you, "If you don't like the terms, leave," knowing full well they'll find a replacement by tomorrow morning.

What I find truly fascinating about this Supreme Court ruling, however, is that it was split—about seven in favor of overturning the law and five against. Hold on a second. A law is either constitutional or it isn't, right? You'd think everyone sitting on that bench would be sufficiently expert to understand the statutes. Instead, seven interpret it one way, and five interpret it another. It would be quite interesting to see how these seven justices' standards of living and bank balances change in the coming months once they start receiving their "rewards" from the retail giants.

goldberry said:Oh, so you’d probably be reading the paper every single day, too? You don't even stop to think about who's working behind the scenes on Fridays and Saturdays just to make sure those papers hit the stands, yet here you are, complaining about the shopkeepers who have to work on Sundays! (Well, guess what? I'm one of them, and I'm working today.). Why aren't you out there lobbying for a law that bans newspapers from being sold on Sundays then?
Or maybe the phone, or the internet... since we need people on call everywhere just to keep things running... and they're probably underpaid for it, too...

Personally, I'm against stupid bans, but starting next Sunday, I'll have to plan everything myself—with my sister, my mom, or whoever else—because my husband works. It's such a crappy feeling...

Milwaukee said:Do you work on Sundays? And under your rule, who would actually get a day off? You realize judges have backlogs lasting two or three years? A whole mountain of cases goes stale just because they don't have the time to clear them. They don't work Saturdays or Sundays. If they worked just 10% more cases, people would actually get their turn. Why is one profession considered more valuable than another to justify not working Sundays? Think about how long people wait for a hospital appointment, or why Congress wouldn't work on Sundays. They aren't even around during the week anyway. Why can't roadwork be done on weekends instead of weekdays when the city traffic is already a total nightmare?

You just don't get it. My freedom to choose my own work schedule has nothing to do with someone else's freedom to decide when a shop owner opens their doors, when a customer decides to shop, or when a worker chooses to do their job. The bottom line is that everyone should have the freedom to choose...

As far as I'm concerned, I'd love it if everyone could pick at least three or four days a week to take off by choice. As an employer, nobody has the right to tell me when to trade. As a consumer, nobody can tell me when to buy. And as a worker, nobody can tell me whether I'll work on Sunday or not... unless it's dictated by the free market of supply and demand.

And why does that specific day have to be Sunday? Why couldn't it be, say, Wednesday?

If judges won't work three or four days a week, then go become a judge yourself and work seven days straight to clear those old cases. Or become a highway worker and fix the roads...

The point is freedom of choice... in a free market, the laws of supply and demand will regulate efficiency or inefficiency. The real question is whether we want to allow a system of freedom like that, or if we're going to suppress it with primitive laws.

Billi said:I’m against silly bans, personally. But starting next week, I’ll have to plan every other Sunday all by myself—with my sister, my mom, or whoever... since my partner has to work. It’s a bummer.

It’s good that you aren't a fan of those bans. I'm sorry you won't get as much time together, but I'm sure you understand the situation. If a husband really has the freedom to choose, he could just find a job that doesn't require working on Sundays instead...

Just to reiterate, my wife works in medicine. In that field, you know from day one that terms like "Sundays," "holidays," or "Christmas" just don't exist...

If she doesn't want that kind of schedule, she can always switch careers... though I bet she wouldn't complain if some foolish politicians (who are basically brainwashed by the church) passed a law banning her from working on Sundays...

Or maybe her work is somehow less important than retail, so she isn't "worthy" of having the legal right to hike Mount Rainier? Maybe I should ask Milwaukee about that...