Holiday Hours

**Andrea** · 04-11-2001, 11:33 PM

I was curious as to what your opinions are on holiday hours for optical shops.
My vision center is located inside a new military base exchange. We were informed yesterday (there's only 2 of us there) that we were expected to be open for business as usual Easter Sunday (meaning 10-5). We were shocked and we refused.
I think retail is getting ridiculous..I'm all for being there for the convenience of our patients but, really, is it necessary to have a vision center-not a doctor's office or medical clinic-open to sell glasses or contacts on Easter, July 4th (unless your a beach shop and the pesky ocean has stolen some tourists glasses) or New Years Day??? :(

**optigoddess** · 04-12-2001, 12:55 AM

I am employed by an optical chain (going on 12 years now). Hours are ONE of the biggest pains I encounter ! I DO not understand WHY we have to be open mall hours especially on LABOR DAY -- I mean, the whole mall should shut down early -- get REAL ! It's Labor Day ! As for your situation, I think it's a bit odd that you have just found out your work schedule for next week. Is your manager "decent" to work with, usually? or is this coming from someone "higher up the food chain" ? Personally, Easter is the only day I will not work -- luckily, 2 years ago, this mall decided to start closing on Easter. Good luck -

**John R** · 04-12-2001, 03:10 AM

Come to england and have the day off all shops must not open on easter sunday (big religious day) not... This is one of the silly regulations that the goverment imposed when allowing sunday opening, also there is a 6 hour max opening time on sundays....

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Every day a grind
Every week a bind
www.iooi.co.uk

**Maria** · 04-12-2001, 07:45 AM

I have to ask, and this will probably be greeted with shock and horror, that there is someone who doesn't know this...........but what's Labor Day? Is it like a very nitty gritty version of Mother's Day? Or a day where you have to all the household tasks that you've been putting off, such as painting the garage?

Maria

PS Andrea - you get to look at men in uniform all day. Think of the people who have to look at old folks, and see how lucky you really are :)

**Bob Fesmire** · 04-12-2001, 08:54 AM

The small practice that I work for is closed on Easter Sunday. We are also closed on Saturdays! We close at 2:00 on Friday afternoons. We work Mondays and Thursday 8:00 to 7:00 and Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:00 to 5:00. We have found that if you say you are open at 8:00, people will expect you to be open at 7:30. If you are open on Saturday until 1:00, people will expect you to be open until 3:00, etc. Good Luck.

**hcjilson** · 04-12-2001, 09:42 AM

Andrea,
The reason for Sunday and Holiday openings are the leases signed by the tenants.If you want the space it is usually on THEIR terms...not yours.Massachusetts was one of the last (if not the last) to strike down its "Blue Laws" which prohibited Sunday openings.When the legislation was written, however, there was a provision saying that no employee could be forced to work on a Sunday.I believe that follows custom with other states, so if you refuse to work Sundays it is within your rights, but to be consistant...you should refuse to work ALL Sundays! I don't believe you can pick and choose :( It would also depend on what your arrangement is with management.If they told you from the beginning that there were Sunday hours and you took the job with that understanding, then you should show up for Easter as well :( Please don't shoot the messenger who also reminds you that every Holiday with a specific date will fall on a Sunday once every 7 years
Maria,
Labor Day is a Holiday to celebrate organized labor!Every four years it is used by presidential candidates to kick off election campaigns.It was also designed to give we working stiffs one additional long weekend in Summer, however many of us use the time to complete those household tasks assigned to us by our spouses :) :)
Best from a rainy Cape Cod

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Harry J

**Maria** · 04-12-2001, 10:11 AM

OK, I realise to do this is to steal Darris's thunder, but tough. I saw it first. :)

"Please don't shoot the messenger who also reminds you that every Holiday with a specific date will fall on a Sunday once every 7 years"

Not exactly true, because of leap years. In a 28 year period, which is the cycle it follows, the 15th of November, for example, occurs on a Sunday 4 times. And 28 divided by 7 is four. However, the four occurences are not 7 years apart.
15th November 1998 was a Sunday, but the next Sunday will be in 2009, a gap of 11 years. The one after that, 2015, a gap of 6 years. After that, 2020, a gap of 5 years. After that, 2026, a gap of 6 years. Then you go back to the beginning of the cycle, with the 11 year gap.
So the pattern is 11-6-5-6, meaning that your Sunday Labor day openings can be as frequent as every 5 years, or as infrequent as every 11.

I claim my prize as the person with too much time on their hands. :)

**John R** · 04-12-2001, 01:54 PM

Now Maria what are you doing online in the daytime :D are you skiving off work again, but wait no its thursday and you should be at collage.....
Ps.. I wont tell on you (just yet)

Have you got to work this weekend too.?

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Every day a grind
Every week a bind
www.iooi.co.uk

**hcjilson** · 04-12-2001, 02:36 PM

Thank you Lady Darris, I am happy to see you paying close attention while playing hooky from school! :) You are correct in assuming that I had completely forgotten about Leap Years, for which I humbly apologise ( As in our current administration...it all depends on how you define apologise...if it looks and acts like one...it probably isn't :) :) :) )In any event I have not had the time to prove your Nov 15th example but assume you have.I had thought up till now, that all nit picking was done in the Opthalmic Optics forum....I will be more careful in the future!
Kindest regards

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Harry J

**Maria** · 04-12-2001, 03:18 PM

For your information, My-Two-Dads, it's Easter, and there is no college this week or next.
I have to work on Saturday, but not tomorrow or Sunday.
Thankyou for your kind apology, Harry. You can't have your calendar back, though. :)

Maria

PS I hope 15th November is now firmly fixed in your minds, because it's my birthday. :)

**lguess** · 04-12-2001, 03:53 PM

Maria, in answer to your question about Labor Day: It's a national (U.S.) holiday that is celebrated the first Monday in September. The reason for the holiday "is to give an annual national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country" (according to the D.S. Dept of Labor and the American Federation of Labor).
It was first celebrated in New York State in 1883, and by 1894 the majority of states recognized the holiday. Congress made it an official national holiday in 1894. Here in the U.S. it's kind of regarded as the "end of summer holiday": kids go back to school, parents put away the motorhome or fishing boat, etc. etc. Where I live, in Southern California it's the perfect time to head for the mountains or the beach: much less crowded and the weather is usually great! As for actual labor on that particular day the hardest most people work is to crack open another beer.