Ohio Representative Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) is drafting a proposal that would require stores to pay employees three times their hourly rate or allow them to take the day off without penalty on Thanksgiving and the first 12 hours of Black Friday.
“For the people who have to work on those days, they should be compensated to a greater degree than they are regularly,” said Rep. Foley. “There’s just something deeply disturbing about having Black Friday, chaotic, blowout sales on Thanksgiving Day, the day that we’re all supposed to be hanging out with our family and giving thanks for all our blessings.”
Retail supports 42 million jobs in America, according to the National Retail Federation.
But this is the first year that many retailers will be open early or around-the-clock on the holiday. That was the motivation for Foley, who said the meaning of the holiday is lost.
