Should all shops be closed on Boxing Day?

UKParliament

Do you work in retail? Are you a shopper who enjoys the Boxing Day sales?

On Monday 12 December at 4.30pm, MPs will debate a petition calling for all retail to be closed on boxing day. The petition reads:

“Close all retail on boxing day, retail isn't needed on boxing day!

Christmas is a family time, the one day is not enough time to see two sides of families, retail workers work extremely hard during the Christmas run up and only get the one day. If only everywhere could be closed boxing day! Some things are needed over the festive period, retail isn't one of them.”

The Petitions Committee wants to hear your views to help inform the debate. In particular, they would like to know:

• If Parliament banned retail stores from opening on Boxing Day, what effect would that have on you?
• How important are Boxing Day sales to you?
• If you’re a retail worker, do you have any choice about working on Boxing Day? Do you get extra pay for working on Boxing Day?
• If you were an MP, what questions would you ask the Government during the debate in Parliament?

Your comments will be summarised and shared with MPs taking part in the debate.

Deadline for comments is midnight on 6 December.

Watch
You will be able to watch the debate live or catch-up later on Parliament TV.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone!

It would be great to see MPs directly debating this in Parliament after hearing your views and opinions.

Please do join in here

AylesburyDuck

I didnt sign the petition,
Whilst i agree Christmas is a family time i also feel people should have the right to work if they wish, which unfortunately this would be taken away from them should a law be passed.
Some people work overtime at this time of year purely to pay off Christmas/winter expenses, i am not signing something that would take this away from them.

jackieblack

Although I loathe the whole business and wouldn't dream of going shopping on Boxing Day (I can't think of anything I'd like to do less), my immediate thoughts are:


Some shops are open on Christmas Day, so how would not allowing them to open on Boxing Day be relevant?


Why should people who don't celebrate Christmas (for religious or other reasons) be forced to lose a days work?


"Christmas is a family time, the one day is not enough time to see two sides of families" - if this is a problem, how do so many people have the time to go shopping? :huh:

kathrynha

I don't necessarily think there should be a ban, but I think there should be a limit on opening times.


For a 5am Next sale opening time the employees would have to be there at 4.30am at the latest, so to be there sober, that probably means no drinking Christmas day evening, as well as an early night. Then if they don't drive, there would be no public transport, and a taxi would cost a fortune.


10-4 or 11-5 Sunday opening would more reasonable for employees, whilst still allowing those that can't cope with shops being closed 2 days in a row a chance to shop.

Former_MSE_Andrea

It would be interesting to split this out I think...

If you (general you) think shops should be closed on Boxing Day, are we talking just high street etc or online too?

If not online we have to remember there are people also working hard to keep websites running, customer service teams, picking and packing etc...

cliffsgirl

I work in a small spar shop and the only day we are closed is Christmas Day. I would love to have Boxing Day off but can't see it happening as we are open the normal hours 6am - 12pm and government guidelines like opening Easter Sunday don't apply to us as we are a petrol station as well. we don't get extra money for working it either.

mjm3346

Christmas is not "Family time" it's a "commercial occasion", cards, presents, decorations, panto etc are all commercial.

Shops should be able to open for as long as they want whenever they want, certainly not be subject to restrictions based on the very small minority who actually celebrate Christmas as a non-commercial occasion.

onomatopoeia99

Shops should be free to open when they want, including Boxing day and all 24 hours of Sunday, not the ridiculous situation that England & Wales has at the moment on Sundays where I can't nip down the supermarket at 6pm as I realise I've run out of an ingredient for the evening meal.

The Boxing day sales aren't important to me, but arbitary restrictions on opening times based on a particular religious faith, in a country that has the right to freedom of religion (including the right to have no religion at all) protected, seems illogical.

Bogalot

I used to do a 6 hour shift on Christmas morning and on Boxing Day. Those two shifts at double time would cover the whole of my Christmas expenses.

Govt (and other people) should not try to dictate when people work (and I agree on the comments about Sundays too).

theEnd

As long as you don't ban sport and pubs too.
Imagine a boxing day with no sport or pubs!!!!