Davis employees working during holidays

By Marisa Ransdell,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Santa’s elves aren’t the only ones who work on holidays: according to the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), businesses are allowed to require their employees to work year round.

“I’ve worked holidays for basically every job I’ve ever had since I was 18,” Davis resident Beverly Swanson said. “It’s affected my holiday plans before, but you just kind of have to work around it.”

Swanson has worked at several places in Davis, including Mishka’s Cafe, and is currently working at Pachamama Coffee Cooperative inside the Co-Op.

According to a Consumer Reports Research Center poll, 46 percent of people who went shopping on Thanksgiving in 2013 thought that the stores should not have been open in the first place.

“It’s kind of unfortunate I think, when you get scheduled for working on a holiday,” said Megan Robinson, a SPCA Thrift Store employee.

According to the California DIR, employers are not required to pay their employees overtime on holidays unless they are working more hours than they normally work.

“For workers’ welfare, working on Thanksgiving day and Christmas ought to be considered as working overtime. Hence, the pay should be at that level,” UC Davis economics professor Quirino Paris said.

“I was required to work on a holiday before, because I was a new hire and not allowed time off,” Swanson said “It’s more of a seniority thing than anything else.”

 

Some employers do let their employees decide who’s going to work when.

“The SPCA is open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve,” Robinson said.  “What we did at our last staff meeting is we took a volunteer waiver, so anyone who wanted to work on those dates could volunteer, but we don’t get paid extra.”

Stores may find it difficult to close down shop, even on holidays.

“Not all businesses, especially small businesses, can afford to be closed on holidays, and they can’t afford to pay their employees overtime,” The Hotdogger employee Max Franks said.

“The money’s good, and that’s why we’re there,” said Ivan Franks, owner of The Hotdogger. “And that’s why we’re working our butts off on Christmas, because somebody’s paying us. We feel like we’re doing our job, we’re giving back to the people, while extracting a little bit.”

While it is true that working does put a damper on holiday plans, this isn’t a problem for many employees.

“I think it’s just up to the person who wants to keep the shop open; I don’t really have much of an opinion on it,” Swanson said.

“I’d be disappointed if I had to work on a holiday, but I’d still do it,” Robinson said.

Employees all have different reactions to their schedules; many are just happy to have the job.

“You’re at the mercy of the job; if you don’t want to work holidays it sucks, but no one’s forcing you to work there.” Max Franks said. “People need jobs, so they do what they have to do to make money.”