#ThePriceOfRetail for workers during the holidays

The holiday season is fast approaching and as much as we love to catch that major sale, we should also pay attention to some of the bad practices of retail employers:

- excessively longer shifts than normal (12 hours +), with minimal breaks;
- mandatory “Black Out” days (typically running from Nov. 1 through Jan. 2), in which employees cannot request time off;
- typically no guaranteed incentives or time and a half pay for holiday work;
- "Clopenings" (working late on Thanksgiving and early on Black Friday), sometimes with as little as 5-6 hours in between shifts; and
- mandatory overnight shifts for everyone, regardless of position.

Due to these practices, retail workers experience:

- limited time with their families or time to prepare for the holidays;
- exhaustion and higher incidents of injury due to lack of sleep and overexertion;
- over-reliance on support networks and excessive childcare costs; and
- low morale due to having no say and experiencing regular disrespect.

Retail workers deserve better, so we the undersigned demand that employers:

- prioritize training for employees on their basic rights as workers in NYC/NYS;
- provide new incentives for workers during the holidays, like time and a half pay, extra breaks on 10+ hour days and/or comp time for future use;
- an option for workers to have a choice to work the holidays instead of being forced to do so; and
- adhere to the current city & state laws that help retail workers strive toward more balanced lives.