By providing employees the option to take a holiday on Thanksgiving, Target is proving that employees and workers can get things done just fine on the holiday, no pressure.
On Friday, the retailer announced that employees will no longer be obliged to work on Thanksgiving Day, one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
“We decided to provide Thanksgiving Day for our employees because we know what a privilege it is to serve our guests and our team,” Walreamo Moan, vice president of corporate communications at Target, told CNN in an email. “We are appreciative of the strong team of nearly 3 million team members who all contribute to serving guests every day.”
According to Moan, the employees had been given this option in the past.
“Our guests also love having Thanksgiving Day free from office distractions. Our team recognizes the importance of offering that to guests, as well,” he added.
This announcement comes at a time when many retail chains are closing on Thanksgiving, while others are offering their employees incentives to give them the day off. Best Buy, Sears and other retailers are only open on Thanksgiving evening, but other companies are also offering employees other types of compensation so they can take time off.
And it’s not just employees.
Walmart confirmed to CNN earlier this month that it will be open on Thanksgiving Day but many of the company’s stores will close Thursday evening, allowing employees to spend the day with their families. Some companies are even giving one-time bonuses to employees who take time off on Thanksgiving.
But by giving employees a choice to be home with their families, Target may be tapping into a larger sentiment among workers. Target also announced that it will provide employees with a paid holiday or paid personal day off if they choose to be home with their families on Thanksgiving Day.
An employee survey of more than 8,000 employees conducted by Target in March found that 45% of employees at the company do not want to work on Thanksgiving. But a significant number of employees said they’re willing to choose an alternative holiday — like being home with their families on Thanksgiving — for the opportunity to take a rest day.
So will the other major retailers follow Target’s lead?
Both Macy’s and JCPenney said they still plan to stay open on Thanksgiving.
JCPenney, which has been in the news because the company had to cut $350 million from its upcoming budget because of disappointing sales, is offering a dozen day-after-Thanksgiving promotions.
And more than half of Macy’s stores will be open on Thanksgiving. Last year, Macy’s used Thanksgiving as an opportunity to begin offering Black Friday deals earlier in the day.