Helen Arlet's Author Blog

Hey everyone, this is just a reminder that if you are planning to eat out this Christmas Day, DO NOT go to Red Lobster. Yes, Red Lobster is open on Christmas Day. You heard me right. And while I am not apposed to people eating out on Christmas, if you are going to do so, you should go somewhere run (and preferably staffed) by people who do not culturally celebrate Christmas. Go hit a Chinese restaurant or something. When you go somewhere like Red Lobster you are taking the people who work there, many of whom probably do celebrate Christmas, away from their families and loved ones on the holiday. How many of you work on Christmas? Almost no one does. So how do you think the people at Red Lobster feel about having to spend Christmas at work?

And you may be thinking, oh it's fine... I'm sure the people on staff volunteered to be there on Christmas, and they are probably getting paid extra, and so on and so on... What if I told you no, that's not the case? Did you know it is Red Lobster's corporate policy that ALL EMPLOYEES MUST WORK CHRISTMAS DAY, NO EXCEPTIONS? Yeah, even people who celebrate Christmas, culturally and/or religiously, must work on Christmas Day if they are employed by Red Lobster. Usually double shifts even... Keeping them away from their family and loved ones for the entirety of the Holiday. Employees are told that if they don't like this, they can go find another job.

But they are at least paid extra for having to work the holiday, aren't they? Not at all! Red Lobster treats Christmas as just another work day. No one gets paid extra. No time and a half holiday pay. No Christmas bonus. Nothing... These are people being forced to work what is the most important Holiday of the year for many of them, for the same crappy pay as always with no extra incentives other than not being fired.