Stores like Target, TJ Maxx and Best Buy thrive on the seasonal volume of the winter months every year. And while gift giving and holiday deals are part of the fun and festive season, the employees behind the bustle deserve appreciation and respect among the holiday madness.
This chaos begins early; 40% of consumers plan to begin their holiday shopping at the end of October.
Holiday blackouts are part of the difficulty workers go through during these winter months. These blackouts are dates in which employees are not allowed to schedule time off, and they usually range from the beginning of November to the end of December.
Employees during this time often have to sacrifice their favorite holidays and family gatherings in order to support the business they work for.
For junior Tommy Dorfman, an employee at a Davenport Best Buy, the stress of working retail on top of school is heavy. “Because I am one of the only minors on the sales floor, much of best buy’s company policy runs on the assumption that work is of a very high priority,” he explained. “As a high school student, I have my [homework], choir activities, other extracurriculars, and college prep to balance on top of my job.”
This stress has only risen as the holiday season has approached. Due to Best Buy’s holiday blackout, he was not allowed to request off Black Friday, for example. Best Buy also has extended hours during the holidays, which has imposed longer hours on Dorfman.
However, the most draining part for retail workers is taking on disrespectful customers.
This is something that Dorfman has gotten used to. “I’ve been cursed out by multiple customers because of situations out of my control, and faced the backlash of shipping delays as customers come into the store demanding I tell them why I ‘lied’’ to them.”
The disrespect has only increased during the holidays. Black Friday was an especially trying day for retail workers, and it will surely continue through the holidays; a Business Insider poll found that over 60% of workers said that customers treat them worse during the holiday season.
Because most workers are unable to request off Black Friday, many can attest to this as well as Dorfman. “My Black Friday shift generally saw dismissive customers and unclear expectations regarding breaks and other standard operations.”
While retail workers deal with all types of difficulties, it is much worse at this time of year. As you begin your holiday shopping, you should thank the retail workers behind the chaos.
