I agree with you about supermarkets, clothes, electrical shops - but unfortunately any newsagents has to open every day except Christmas day as that is the only day a paper is not produced.

I would hate to work in a job like that.  One of my sisters is a midwife so she has to work Boxing Day and New Year and the other one's a teacher and gets a shed load of holidays every year!  She's in the bloody caribbean as we speak - although with thick snow falling here I would actually prefer to be at home right now and enjoy a lovely white Christmas!

I was under the impression the supermarkets are closed Friday and Saturday. So they get 2 days off.

Tesco and some other large chains re-open Boxing Day

No tesco is open the day alter xmas day smarting

My nearby Tesco and Sainsburys are both closed on Friday and Saturday.

Maybe the Express versions are open on the Saturday.

my daugther is working boxing day at tesco extra 10 till 4

All it takes is for people/shoppers to boycott the shops on Boxing Day for the message to get through. nobody needs to shop on Boxing Day ....................FGS it wasn't that long ago that shops were closed on Sundays. It's supply and demand ..........why would anyone want to shop on Boxing Day?

our local store is just a normal basic store - opening boxing day 

my Son works in Halfords and they are only closed Christmas Day

I dont think we on here are a minority in thinking it's wrong ...........therefore it beats me that people actually go out shopping on Boxing Day. Lots of people must otherwise they wouldn't open ........it wouldn't be profitable to open a store and pay wages if the money wasn't coming in.  Who does that?

I just feel very sorry for shop workers n i would never shop on boxing day

but they do - Boxing day is usually a busy day as it is traditionally Sale day for some stores - My Son is working New years Day and they will be dead - everyone nursing hangovers  bad trading days are covered over by the good ones though in large chains  - most have monthly targets etc etc 

Christmas Day {Fri} should have been my Sons day off so he will get an extra days holiday for this but Boxing Day and New Years days are worked as normal days and no extra time off given

people dont necessarily spent  money on these days - they just feel they have to go out and have a wander and a look   I came across people in Asda today - no basket or trolly - just wandering

My heart goes out to the people who work in my local Centra.

They are open from 10am until 4pm on CHRISTMAS DAY!!!

Normally where I work the centre used to be closed on Boxing day but this year its open and I am working it. I am only working it becuase we are getting double time and a day in lieu, we never get double time not even on bank holidays so I am doing purely for the money

Did they have a green and black Asda uniform on?

I found it very hard when we first moved here cause everything closed early (5.30-6pm) & closed Sundays & public hols. I'd love to go to the movies on Christmas Day with the kids * hides *

Spot on Soozy.   Things have been so bad for business' this year they are driving so hard to make up the sales.  Bet they do a roaring trade though.
Hopefully the staff working are well compensate for it.

 I like boxing day sales - comet curry's here I come

I also remember when shops  used to close half day on Thursday's. I think shopworkers should get Boxing day off.

 Essie boxing day a traditional sale day for years - why change it now?  - staff know it when they take the job

Does anyone know how the staff rota for Boxing Day is decided?

I've worked two different jobs that required me to work xmas &/or boxing day.   Pub Manager - part & parcel of the pub trade.   &.. working in a hospital pathology lab.   In the lab Xmas & Boxing day rotas were put up for volunteers, and as both days were paid at double time PLUS time off in lieu, it always got filled.   I can't  remember us ever having a problem finding people to work a shift that paid double.

I have no desire to go shopping ever ever again at the moment, and won't be going out Boxing Day...  but I haven't got a particular issue with shops opening, so long as the staff are properly rewarded for it.

I was talking to one of the Tescos staff yesterday and she said the BD staff would be all agency workers.

my local garage is an M&S garage and its open late today, xmas day and boxing day

I do think it's bad for shop workers - I hope it's only volunteers for Boxing day working. When I used to work in Sainsbury's it was only volunteers for Bank Holidays but I fear it may have changed, HOWEVER as my hubby is working the 27th and 28th I may feel the need to go out Boxing Day myself!!

When I worked at the juice bar, you had to choose whether you wanted to work xmas eve or boxing day and NYE or new years day. I always chose the eves haha. At waterstones the boxing day shift was voluntary but if it was normally when you worked then you had to make up time.

It's not just shopworkers you know! I used to work for Vodafone and I had to work every Christmas Day as loads of people get phones and don't have a clue how to work them

I didn't complain , just got on with it!

I will be shopping on Boxing Day. Wouldn't miss the Next half price sale for anything! Will be there bang on 7

Why should shop workers be different from a huge number of people who have to work over all the holidays - and I don't just mean medical and emergency services staff. How many of you will be visiting relatives or otherwise going out on Boxing Day? If you're in a car you'll expect service stations to be open; if you're not someone has to drive the train or bus. You'll expect your phone, gas, electricity and water to be available without hitches - that requires people working to keep the supplies going. If it's icy, you'll want the roads gritted. Will you keep your TV switched off to protest that there are people having to work on Christmas Day to keep you entertained as they do every other day of the year? Will you boycott pubs and restaurants because people work there on days you have as holidays?

Good point Blondie My brother always begs to do freelance over Christmas cos he's not a drinker, gets bored and can earn a shedload! Some people do like working over Xmas, not all are forced to.

Ditto Abo..... it would be lovely to be able to take my grandkids out to the cinema on Xmas Day..... and a lot more peaceful

my brother is working tomorrow, still...least he gets a christmas lunch where he works lol!

he's a prison officer

a few years ago they had to send him home early as their brussel sprouts made him have terrible farts (he is bad enough without them)..his SO said that whatever the prisoners crimes...they dont deserve THAT around them on christmas day

mind you nor did we

So it's not just a garage, it's an  ...