As national retailers plan to kick off the holiday shopping season earlier than ever with hours on Thanksgiving Day, some Massachusetts merchants are starting to question whether the state’s Colonial-era blue laws, which prohibit Thanksgiving openings, are becoming outdated.
With stores in neighboring states such as New Hampshire set to open on Thursday night and Internet shopping always available, Massachusetts’ restrictions may just be sending sales elsewhere, said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, the state’s largest retail trade group.
Comments
I've had years of retail management experience (and the subsequent dilemma of making sure that the stores I was responsible for were sufficiently staffed on holidays). Having heard the ignorant cry of "no one will be forced to work on the holiday if they choose not to" far too often spoken by someone who was never responisble for staffing a large retail store. I offer up a simple and practical solution to this issue. If the Massachusetts legislature votes to allow retailers to open on holidays once considered sacred ground, the legislature should also be required to be in session on those holidays with 100% attendance. If a single member of the legislature is not present in the session, there is an immediate 10 year ban on opening on that holiday.
Public service is public service, right?
In what is otherwise a progressive state, these blue laws are terribly out of place.
I don't understand the rationale since these laws only apply to retail. I worked a high-tech job for more than 30 years. It was 24/7 and we were there we were supposed to be. There was no "choose not to" on Sunday or holidays.
I'm sure you were paid way higher than minimum wage. These poor saps who are being forced to work on what is one of the most important family holidays of the year probably work very close to minimum wage jobs. That is the difference. At least you were properly compensated. I know you were most likely an "exempt" employee, not getting any "extra" pay for the extra hours, which is another bag of worms. But that came with the territory of being in high tech. I was also in high tech, and pulled some all-nighters. But I'm willing to bet you never scheduled any major changes for Thanksgiving.
Massachusetts has proven once again that it has more sense than many other states.
It is absolutely rediculous for stores to be opening on Thanksgiving. Shoppers might want to boycott all branches of those stores for the entire Christmas shopping season, even if the local branches in Massachusetts cannot be part of it by law.
It is equally stupid for stores to open just past midnight on Thanksgiving. That will take away from family celebrations, for both employees and shoppers. At least shoppers have a choice. Employees usually do not.
P.S. Isn't Thanksgiving traffic bad enough without adding more to the mix?
the poor workers! Whyever would they want a holiday?
Every Blue Law on the books should be repealed within the next two months. Every one of them.