Are Christmas closures discriminatory?
by Nicky
Christmas seems to come around faster year on year. We are now at the end of November with thirty two days to go until Christmas Day itself!!
Thousands of businesses tend to close their doors over the festive period and re-open in the New Year allowing employees to enjoy a long, and usually welcome, break.
However, has anyone given thought to employees who do not share the same traditional and religious values? It has been suggested that shutting the office over the Christmas period, and requiring employees to use their annual leave over this period, may be discriminatory towards those of other religions.
What are your thoughts and views on this controversial subject?
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Pretty easy to defend I would have thought. Legitimate business need, proportionate etc.
Richard Morris said at November 23rd, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Whilst I understand where you are coming from with your comment, as times change and more businesses open Christmas Day, then perhaps there will become more of a need for businesses to remain open? Therefore do you think this argument would become less arguable in the future?
Nicky said at November 23rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Bah humbug. Time for a few reality checks…
1. Christmas is an established holiday, so most businesses can’t get much work done if other businesses are closed. This is not unlike the “French Republican Calendar” which worked well in France but made it impossible to deal with their neighbours.
2. In France most businesses are shut down during August. (In previous work I couldn’t get much organised between the end of June and beginning of September because so many people were on leave). So comparatively it isn’t much of a loss.
3. In the civil service you have to keep some leave for this time period as most offices are closed (at least this was the situation in 1990 probably hasn’t changed much).
Personally I don’t think there’s a legitimate business need to open shops on a Sunday, and it would help the economy and the environment to close on Sundays never mind opening on Christmas Day.
Incidentally it is my intention to spend some time working over this period, as it’s one of the few chances during the year to disconnect things…
John Airey said at November 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Is nothing sacred?
Philip said at November 26th, 2009 at 2:45 pm