In the past, working on Boxing Day was a choice, an employee could make. The employee could choose whether to work on that Holiday or not. Employers never work that day, but have made it an imperative for employees, though by Law one doesn't have to. It becomes a cudgel to bludgeon employees with as employers intimidate their employees into working, saying that they (employees) are violating some imaginary rule or company policy; if an employee cannot work the hours the employer demands, the individual could be dismissed. Of course this is the Lie, and few employee know it.
Why is it that Employers never work during Christmas, while their employees (especially retail & service), must work through the Christmas Holiday. The Employer enjoys the break from work, lasting a week or more, while their employees have only the One Day (Christmas Day), to spend with family, before scurrying back to work extremely early Boxing Day Morning to make money for vacationing Employers. Employers that neither appreciated the sacrifice, nor pay for its privilege.
Imagine leaving work Christmas Eve, hurrying home to spend Christmas with family, then getting up three or four o'clock in the morning Boxing Day to rush to work, spend all day there, and leave, sometime late Boxing Day evening.
Well, it was on such a day that I found myself standing in an Electronics Retailer, which will remain nameless, on Boxing Day 2002. I had arrived at 6:30am, awaiting the arrival of a tardy store manager. Unnaturally, the crowd of customers expected, never arrived, and we were forced to pass the time away entertaining what few persons that did come through the door. Several police officers, called to duty, with expectation of a busy Boxing Day shopping, with free time their hands, took it upon themselves to do a little shopping in the store, hoping for great prices.
I happened into conversation with one particular constable, who informed me that he had a Satellite Dish, to which I inquired "Who is your provider; "Bell Expressvu" or "Starchoice"? To this he replied, "neither, Direct TV." I asked if that was not illegal. He informed me, not as long as you have it in your possession, and are paying for it. I asked where he got the dish. In the States, he replied.
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© copywright R. Anthony H. Rock
