Business closing from now until 3rd January: Only in the U.K.....

[Phil.]

could I go into a business at 09.45 on December the 20th to be told that nothing can be done as they're now closing at 12.00 until January the 3rd for Christmas.
They'll be moaning that foreign companies are stealing their trade next!

A window company since you're wondering.

 

[tony_mac]

What other countries have you lived in where such things never happen?

 

[dosxuk]

China pretty much shuts down it's manufacturing for two weeks around their new year. If you need to get anything that's out of stock made at short notice then, you're pretty much screwed.

 

[AndrewE]

I thought that most Builders merchants shut down for a fortnight from Christmas eve.

 

[70014IronDuke]

could I go into a business at 09.45 on December the 20th to be told that nothing can be done as they're now closing at 12.00 until January the 3rd for Christmas.
They'll be moaning that foreign companies are stealing their trade next!

A window company since you're wondering.

In Austria, January 6th is also a public holiday. Hundreds, probably thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of Austrian companies close down for a fortnight or more, most certainly in Vienna, and have done for at least thirty years.

Austria has something like the sixth highest GDP/capita in the world. I don't know how they manage it, it's a bloody nightmare in terms of bureaucracy, but they come out of it all very well off.

 

[PHILIPE]

Until 1973, New Years Day wasn't even a public holiday in England and Wales although notably an occasion in Scotland (and 2nd also). People had Xmas Day and Boxing Day off and returned to work on the 27th (subject to Festival Days not falling at weekends). Gradually, people had the idea of having a break right through and, if weekends intervened, could stretch it even longer.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Whereas if you work in a shop, these days there's a good chance you won't even get Boxing Day off....

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Whereas if you work in a shop, these days there's a good chance you won't even get Boxing Day off....

And in the hospitality industry you'll be working Christmas Day too, and getting time+50%, maybe double if you're lucky.

To the OP - As others have said, it happens in most western countries at some time or another. For someone who is at the very least wary of the downsides of immigration/being in the EU, you seem quite keen to put the UK down...

 

[fowler9]

Where I work we are open 24/7 every day of the year. It seems some people want everywhere open apart from where they work (I don't mean the OP when saying that).

 

[Mag_seven]

could I go into a business at 09.45 on December the 20th to be told that nothing can be done as they're now closing at 12.00 until January the 3rd for Christmas.
They'll be moaning that foreign companies are stealing their trade next!

A window company since you're wondering.

Just tell them you'll take your business elsewhere then!

 

[8A Rail]

Whereas if you work in a shop, these days there's a good chance you won't even get Boxing Day off....

Most retailers are open everyday except Easter Sunday and Christmas Day, then for some employee's they got to take them off as a holiday otherwise, it becomes their normal day off for the week in question. Lucky for me this year for the first time in 9 years, I'm actually off on Christmas Eve but will be in all other days over the Christmas / New Year period (extra money on 3 of those days!).

 

[Abpj17]

In the manufacturing industry this used to be entirely normal - not just in the UK (and in the summer). In retailing obviously it would be very unusual.

 

[bramling]

could I go into a business at 09.45 on December the 20th to be told that nothing can be done as they're now closing at 12.00 until January the 3rd for Christmas.
They'll be moaning that foreign companies are stealing their trade next!

A window company since you're wondering.

I wouldn't mind if *everything*, except essential life-or-death services, shut down for Christmas.

I will be working over Christmas, quite happily as I don't celebrate Christmas anyway, yet there are many things I won't able to do.

It should be all or none, in my opinion - and that includes the retail sector.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

I find it amusing that a lot of people are pushing for everyone to get Boxing Day as a holiday - yet presumably most people would want to go out for the day and then complain that everywhere is shut!

 

[Phil.]

Just tell them you'll take your business elsewhere then!

I already have - to a company who were only too happy to help.

 

[Howardh]

Just noticed outside some little kids are being frogma...walking to school. Could the school holidays be shorter than some firms?!!

 

[fowler9]

I do find the whole Christmas period a bit of a farce. Lots of people insist on having loads of time off because it is the one time of year everyone gets off, not everyone has it off. Oops, that sounded a bit wrong, I certainly don't in many ways. Ha ha. We don't all live in little villages in some kind of agrarian society any more. If someones cold water storage tank floods the house on Christmas day they still expect a plumber to be on hand etc. etc. etc.

 

[northwichcat]

A lot of businesses are closed between Christmas and New Year. I used to work for one that insisted on remaining open for the needs of clients, yet it was rare the clients needed anything, whether British ones, EU ones or North American ones.

 

[fowler9]

The job I had before my current one was doing admin supporting Ambulance Chasers (Claims companies) and we literally sat there doing nothing for two weeks because all the people we serviced were not in work. We got the occasional early dart when some genius who was at home decided there was no point in us being in work. The problem with the benevolent early dart was that you had already dragged yourself out of bed to sit in an office doing nothing. The trick was self discipline, staying there doing nothing rather than using your leave hours to go home early. Best off using them when it was busy. Not all bad I guess.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The whole xmas thing is just totally over rated anyway. I say lets have lunchtime close of everything accept convenience type retailers on the 24th, 25 and 26 off no matter when they fall and back 27th, again no matter when it falls.

 

[Busaholic]

A few years ago I ordered a couple of items, totalling about £60, from a very well-known mail order organisation whose brochures litter the paper recycling bins. The order was placed at the end of November, the usual spiel followed about allowing three weeks for delivery. On December 21st, having received nothing, I phoned the company just after midday to be informed by an answerphone message that they had closed at midday for Christmas. On December 28th, when they reopened, I got in touch to be informed both items were out of stock and I could, if I wanted, be granted a refund. Oh, how I wanted! This company, whom I'd never used before or (obviously) since still send me brochures through the post twice a year, the quickest recycling ensues.

 

[roversfan2001]

Just noticed outside some little kids are being frogma...walking to school. Could the school holidays be shorter than some firms?!!

I don't know about other areas of the country but in Lancashire most schools are back open on the 9th; which barring 2010 where we had an extra week due to the snow is the latest I've come back after New Year. It's just the way the weeks have fallen.

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Interesting; down here in Surrey the schools go back on the 3rd and 4th of January.

 

[Howardh]

Interesting; down here in Surrey the schools go back on the 3rd and 4th of January.

Is that because it's spring then in Surrey??

Must admit, it's knocking on 11c outside (in Du Cote D'Lanky) and folks are walking round in t-shorts and flipflops ready for the beach. Wind's dropped too. Just read in my local that we're expecting a BBQ January (again). Time to linseed the bat.

 

[fowler9]

It is an unseasonal 13 degrees here in sunny Liverpool.

 

[PHILIPE]

I can remember Football matches being played on Xmas Day morning, k.o. 1100 and, as far as possible, local Derbys with the return fixture being played on Boxing Day afternoon, 1400 in those days pre-floodlights. Oh, and special excursion trains to convey supporters in many places.

 

[Liam]

My local Nisa shop is open today. I think they only close for family occasions.

 

[Busaholic]

Surprised to find all three supermarket petrol filling stations on the Eastern outskirts of Penzance were closed this afternoon, including the supposed 24 Hour Tesco one. I didn't need to fill up, but I did see some cars coming out of Sainsbury's presumably having wanted to.

 

[Liam]

Surprised to find all three supermarket petrol filling stations on the Eastern outskirts of Penzance were closed this afternoon, including the supposed 24 Hour Tesco one. I didn't need to fill up, but I did see some cars coming out of Sainsbury's presumably having wanted to.

Even pay at the pump?

 

[Busaholic]

Even pay at the pump?

All were coned off.