Kmart isn't just part of the trend of retail chains moving Black Friday shopping up to Thanksgiving day. It's straight up telling workers
they can't ask for time off on the holiday—but, like every other day, it's also not giving many of them their schedules far enough in advance to plan around, Bryce Covert reports.
In a press release from the petition organizer, one employee said human resources has told them, “if you do not come to work on Thanksgiving, you will automatically be fired… I made the request to work a split shift on Thanksgiving and was denied.” Another said, “Our manager stated at a staff meeting: ‘Everyone must work Thanksgiving and Black Friday. No time off.’” At one location, an employee says signs have been posted in the break room saying workers can’t request time off on Thanksgiving or Black Friday and that everyone has to put in at least some time on both, while at another signs have been posted saying no one can request time off between November 15 and January 1.
“I am a lead at a Kmart and it is mandatory for me to work on Thanksgiving,” another employee said. “If I were to call out I would be terminated, and requesting off is not allowed.” [...]
And most workers have no idea whether they’re going to be asked to give up some of their Thanksgiving dinner to come to work, even with the holiday a week away. Forty-three percent of the surveyed employees said they still don’t know their schedules for Thanksgiving or Black Friday.
You might be working in the morning, you might be working at night, you might be working all day—but Kmart isn't necessarily telling you which, and you certainly can't ask for time off. Not if you want your job.
Happy Thanksgiving! I sure do hope people who turn out to shop at Kmart that day feel like the deals they get are worth it.