Staff writer
For those working over the holidays, there’s plenty at stake.
“I prefer not to work Christmas Eve. That’s for family,” said Linda Church, who operates the register at Ampride in Marion. “Working New Year’s Eve is not a big deal.”
Many agree with Church, who is working New Year’s day and Christmas night. They try to plan ahead and enjoy whatever portion of the holidays they have off.
“I figured I’d get Christmas off because I worked Thanksgiving,” said Mercedes Love who operates the cash register at Casey’s in Marion. “That worked because my son’s dad had Thanksgiving off, and he was with our son.”
Jenny Bidwell looks at the bright side. She is working Christmas day at Casey’s in Marion. That’s OK because she doesn’t start work until 2 p.m. and she celebrates Christmas with her family in the morning.
“And I have Christmas Eve off,” Bidwell said.
Joyce Croft understands what’s important. Croft and her daughter Katelyn work at Alco. They will work New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day, but they aren’t complaining. Alco is closed on Christmas so they get Christmas off.
“That’s a good deal,” Croft said.
It’s also a good deal having employees like Grace Ashley, who works at Casey’s in Hillsboro. Another employee needs assistance, and Ashley will help her out. Ashley is working Christmas day and probably New Year’s Eve and day.
“It’s my social life,” Ashley said.
After her shift is over, Ashley will go home to her 17-year-old daughter.
Managers have to work, too. Nicole Herzet manages the short-staffed Casey’s in Marion. She worked Thanksgiving and will work Christmas Eve and day, and New Year’s Eve and day.
“It’s either me or my supervisor,” Herzet said.
Besides those in retail, many others must work over the holidays, such as police officers, nurses, emergency dispatchers and technicians, and many others, including Morgan Marler of Peabody. Marler heads the Hillsboro water department. Marler worked Thanksgiving and will work New Year’s Eve so that other employees with family visiting will have those holidays off. Marler will spent Christmas with her mother, who lives next door.
“We know our schedule about a year in advance,” Marler said.
Evelyn Throop, who operates the register at Ampride in Marion, provided a succinct reason why she is working Christmas day:
“They asked me to work and I said yes.”