Some States Have Banned Stores From Opening on Thanksgiving [#SAVETHANKSGIVING]

So this Black Friday creep is getting out of control. Last week, a Target worker made national headlines when she started a petition to the company to tell them that she didn't want to work on Thanksgiving, and Walmart warned employees not to strike on Black Friday and to just "do their job."

With all this backlash you'd think somebody would do something about it. Turns out, at least three states are. Now while I'm against states mandating too much about our lives, I have to agree with Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island lawmakers, who decided to prohibit big retailers from opening on Thanksgiving Day. So despite national advertising, stores like Target and Walmart will not be allowed to open until after midnight in those states.

Target has been defending their holiday hours since the push-back started, stating that most of the employees who work on Thanksgiving actually volunteer for the shift because of the holiday pay. And even though some states have laws on the books preventing Thanksgiving openings, at least one state is trying to reverse the law. Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Retailers Association say they are looking into legislation that could reverse it. If the laws are changed, "it would have to be voluntary to work, and there would be premium pay just like we have on other holidays," the governor said.

Even with the complaints and the obvious disdain for the Black Friday creep, stores will open Thursday night nonetheless. But that doesn't mean you can't tell retailers how you feel about it. Maybe, when sanity is restored, families will be able to once again enjoy Thanksgiving with their families.

Is it fair to the employees of these stores that they should have to work on Thanksgiving night (even if they’re volunteering to work)? Does the shift in hours change your shopping plans? Is it okay to shop on Thanksgiving night? Would you rather wait until Black Friday morning?

We'd love to hear your comments on our Coalition to Save Thanksgiving Facebook page.

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