Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

restlesssurfer97 said:Just because Mike Tyson can take a hit from George Foreman doesn't mean you can handle that same kind of punch.

Oh please, spare me the cliché nonsense.

bluebison47 said:Well, let’s just take a second to actually think about this... you aren't some lone worker in the entire country, and people like you definitely don't make up the majority of the workforce.

A huge chunk of those workers have kids who aren't even free during the week—they're only off on the weekends because that's how the school systems operate (and let's be honest, most of them aren't strictly religious folks worrying about keeping Sunday "holy").

Retail stores aren't emergency services or essential industries that depend on Sunday shifts—you know, unlike restaurants, bars, or maybe sports journalists—so their schedule shouldn't be dictated by the day of the week. Whatever you feel like you "need" to buy on a Sunday, you could easily grab on a Saturday or a Monday; in 98% of cases, you won't face any actual catastrophe.

So, a cafe or a restaurant is fine, but a grocery store isn't?
Explain that logic to me...

wiredrider9 said:Oh please, spare me the cliché nonsense.

Look, you’re just throwing out empty platitudes left and right, man, honestly just talking in circles without providing a single shred of actual data or anything concrete, and I'm pretty sure you just want to ban Sunday work so you can go hang out and make out with your girlfriend since she's got the day off, so come on, give me a break.

Amanda Evans2 said:So, a cafe or a restaurant is fine, but a grocery store isn't?
Explain that logic to me...

Well, I mean, globally speaking, they aren't really allowed either, but I guess they serve as an exception since weekends are when they see their biggest surge in revenue. Retail stores don't have that, at least not on Sundays.

Charles Roberts33 said:Sure, but what kind of compensation are we talking about? The women working in those stores are making absolute peanuts. Generally speaking, every lowlife takes advantage of them because they can—from managers down to the rude customers. They’re "so protected," right? It’s almost funny. I guess that’s why turnover is so high at those "prestigious" jobs. God forbid I ever get treated with that much "protection."

I’m all for working when there isn't a pandemic, including Sundays and holidays. It doesn't bother me; nobody is forcing my hand. If I wanted less money, I’d work less, but then I certainly wouldn't be pulling shifts on Sundays and holidays.

I think we're missing each other here. Generally speaking, I'm not even against banning Sunday work. There are countries out there where that actually works. Personally, I don't hit the grocery stores on Sundays anyway; I might pop out for a loaf of bread, but that's about it. I go to the movies, but hey, someone has to staff those theaters. I grab gas, and there are employees there too. Our lifestyle in the States just doesn't allow for everything to shut down.

bluebison47 said:Well, I mean, globally speaking, they aren't really allowed either, but I guess they serve as an exception since weekends are when they see their biggest surge in revenue. Retail stores don't have that, at least not on Sundays.

Do you actually have any data to back up that claim?
Because from what I can see, hours are being cut on Saturdays, and then they’re just closed entirely on Sundays.
As far as I'm concerned, the crowds always seem to peak over the weekend.
If this is how things are heading, I shudder to think what's coming next...

I can get someone to explain to me how epidemiologists, now that they're finally loosening up the restrictions, suddenly decided that stores need to shut down on Sundays when they were perfectly fine operating before

I’d really love to wrap my head around the logic there, because frankly, it’s completely beyond me...

restlesssurfer97 said:Look, you’re just throwing out empty platitudes left and right, man, honestly just talking in circles without providing a single shred of actual data or anything concrete, and I'm pretty sure you just want to ban Sunday work so you can go hang out and make out with your girlfriend since she's got the day off, so come on, give me a break.

I actually have to side with him this time.
There is absolutely no way Mike Tyson survives a fight against George Foreman. It wasn't just luck; he avoided that matchup like people avoided the COVID virus.

Amanda Evans2 said:I can get someone to explain to me how epidemiologists, now that they're finally loosening up the restrictions, suddenly decided that stores need to shut down on Sundays when they were perfectly fine operating before

I’d really love to wrap my head around the logic there, because frankly, it’s completely beyond me...

And don't even get me started.
What, does the virus take the day off on Sunday? Does it only hang out in grocery stores?

Amanda Evans2 said:Do you actually have any data to back up that claim?
Because from what I can see, hours are being cut on Saturdays, and then they’re just closed entirely on Sundays.
As far as I'm concerned, the crowds always seem to peak over the weekend.
If this is how things are heading, I shudder to think what's coming next...

https://money.usnews.com/article/t...abiji/9794302/

🤷

Look, just so we're clear, I suppose the ideal setup would be 7 AM to 5 PM during the week, maybe Sunday from 8 AM to noon. A total ban isn't really productive anyway, and there are plenty of other people who would still want to work that day, I guess.😬)

What kind of sheep-minded, spineless nation have we become?
Ban them, arrest them, restrict them—throw every regulation in the book at them...

The cashier earns exactly what they deserve. Just like anyone else with a job.
If you were worth more, you’d be doing a higher-paying job.
That’s just basic economic reality, a truth that our backward-thinking society will probably never be able to wrap its head around...

Banning work on Sundays is basically just stripping people of their right to earn a living. If you don't see it that way yet, man, you're probably just young and you'll figure it out as you get older.

I spent a huge chunk of my life living in places where almost everything stays open 24/7, and honestly, it’s such an incredible commodity for consumers, but more importantly, it means way higher employment rates. When a shop runs 24 hours a day, they’re essentially hiring 30% more staff compared to a place that just operates from 6 AM to 10 PM.

When you have an economy running at that kind of employment level, unemployment practically ceases to exist.
And once you hit that point where there's zero unemployment and a massive labor shortage, things change—like, if someone working the graveyard shift at a local grocery store isn't happy, they can literally find a new job in a single day.
They could jump through twenty different jobs in a month if they wanted to.
And I'm telling you, this isn't just some theory; I've seen it happen with my own eyes. In an economy like that, businesses struggle to find workers, which forces them to offer higher wages and a mountain of benefits just to keep good people around. It ultimately leads to better status for the workers themselves.

But when the government steps in and restricts Sunday work, all it does is trigger layoffs, drive up unemployment, and make the people who *are* employed feel way more terrified and dependent on their jobs. Because if they lose their gig, there’s nowhere else for them to go.

So yeah, this is how laws that claim to protect worker rights actually end up hurting them in practice. If you don't believe me, go do some research; everything is out there online if you actually bother to look.

bluebison47 said:https://money.usnews.com/article/t...abiji/9794302/

🤷

Look, just so we're clear, I suppose the ideal setup would be 7 AM to 5 PM during the week, maybe Sunday from 8 AM to noon. A total ban isn't really productive anyway, and there are plenty of other people who would still want to work that day, I guess.😬)

Here is some data regarding certain labor unions that carries significant weight, much like the information presented in this article...
Let’s be clear: we aren't looking at hard data here. What we have are nothing more than educated guesses...

Prohibitions are fundamentally counterproductive—that’s the core of the issue. What we actually need is a genuine dialogue between retailers and the legislature. Instead of outright bans, the focus should be on codifying exactly what fees are allowed and then strictly enforcing those rules. You have to look at the incentives; you need to figure out who stands to gain from certain practices and who doesn't, because that's where the friction lies...

Prohibitions are easily the most egregious way to trample over economic freedom...
And now someone is inevitably going to drag Germany into this as some sort of cautionary tale, so I really have to wonder why I even bother putting in the effort...

Paul Sanders5 said:I think we're missing each other here. Generally speaking, I'm not even against banning Sunday work. There are countries out there where that actually works. Personally, I don't hit the grocery stores on Sundays anyway; I might pop out for a loaf of bread, but that's about it. I go to the movies, but hey, someone has to staff those theaters. I grab gas, and there are employees there too. Our lifestyle in the States just doesn't allow for everything to shut down.

Honestly, I’d lose my mind if everything was shuttered on Sundays. I’m talking specifically about those tiny, rundown corner shops where people are basically working for pennies.
It’s not even that they strictly have to be closed; rather, out of some sense of solidarity toward those workers and their lives, we should at least be willing to hold off on whining in the aisles for that one motherf***ing (excuse my language) day of the week.

I guess retail workers aren't complaining about working Sundays just because they love it. It’s more about the low pay. If they were pulling in $60,000 a year, maybe a lot of people would be willing to work seven days a week if they could. But honestly, those jobs are worth what they are. Besides, not every shop just sells groceries; there are plenty of specialty stores out there too. In many places, people work for sales bonuses, and weekends are when everyone goes shopping. Economics is economics—you have to put food on the table. Some people can make it with a 9-to-5, while others might not have the degree for those roles, or maybe they just want to work more. People's interests, ambitions, and skills vary so much. For one person, it's a book; for another, it's a shovel. Metaphorically speaking, of course. I realize the economy is pretty messy right now and many people are working jobs outside their field or below their potential, but life is a struggle. I don't think it's fair to support retail staff in a debate like this while ignoring restaurant workers, drivers, police officers, and everyone else who works on Sundays for relatively low wages.

That is precisely the point.
Selective bans

They’re essentially working for some local church and those security guards at the stadiums on Sunday, so why don't we just ban sports altogether? That way, people can spend their Sundays hanging out with their kids instead.
But no, apparently they aren't women and don't work behind a service counter.
Let them deal with the rowdy fans in the Sunday heat for half a working day just to satisfy the church...

Yeah, security gigs are honestly just a grind; the working conditions can be pretty rough. I guess you have to wonder who actually runs toward those jobs?

To the people pushing for a ban on Sunday business hours.

If you’re someone who spends your Sundays watching football, maybe just stop doing that because some politician decided to comment on it. If your internet goes out on a Sunday, don't bother calling customer service. If there's a flood, I guess you can just patch it up yourself.

Start with yourself. Be an example.

I honestly don't get this whole obsession with retail workers and Sundays, I really don't. I'd actually love to see some data showing what percentage of people working on a Sunday are just stuck behind a cash register.

urbanhawk17 said:To the people pushing for a ban on Sunday business hours.

If you’re someone who spends your Sundays watching football, maybe just stop doing that because some politician decided to comment on it. If your internet goes out on a Sunday, don't bother calling customer service. If there's a flood, I guess you can just patch it up yourself.

Start with yourself. Be an example.

I mean, this commentator is on air for 8 hours straight, every single day.