In my previous blog, I discuss whether the retail industry should not be the only option for neurodivergent job seekers, As someone who has worked in retail/customer service for over 15 years, I have seen it all when it comes to how the industry works. You have employers who are only focused on the bottom line and that making money should be the only focus and the only focus alone.
Perhaps nothing suits this more than during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and having firsthand experience, I often think about how sometimes it just isn’t worth it to be in retail during the holidays. I mean, you get people that believe that they can get away with bad behavior because they are right or because they have an excuse to be the way people are.
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As we enter the start of the holiday shopping season, I share this with all of you because sometimes money just isn’t worth it for neurodivergent employees that work in retail. Yes, I get for some that they have no choice on account they have bills to pay and money to earn for holiday presents. When it comes to the holiday shopping season, people tend to show their uglier side more than their good side. This is the time of year where some people throw away common courtesy on account that they will stop at nothing to get what they want.
For neurodivergent individuals, working during the holidays is a nightmare. Just the idea of being pulled into confrontations over something that people won’t even need down the line is enough to cause stress and anxiety. For some, like I mentioned in my previous blog, retail is the only industry that can be the only option to provide income. The problem is that some job coaches are not mindful of the individual’s mental state on account that working in retail is essential to the business that they are working on.
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Furthermore, then there is also the matter of being flexible. Yes, I have said before that flexibility isn’t a necessity, but a survival skill. But there are going to be times when sometimes being flexible is not worth it. An example would be being required to report for duty at midnight on Thanksgiving Day when you view Thanksgiving as a day for family and friends like I do.
If you’re a night owl and love to stay up all night especially after Thanksgiving, then more power to you. But, having to work on Thanksgiving night or Thanksgiving Day itself should be something that the individual can set boundaries on. The same can be said for working Sundays or other holidays because the individual does have the right to set boundaries if it can be done.
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However, in the case of working in retail between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I would say that the risk of having sensory overload while on company time is increased by ten times, especially for those that seek accommodation and don’t get it. Take it from me, I try and put myself in the employer’s shoes and get a mindset that it’s either my way or the highway. I mean, who would want to go into a job that you feel anxious for?
Perhaps it could be that working in retail is also brought upon the fact that the individual can’t speak up for themselves or are not as self-aware as others. I was not as self-aware with myself as I am now when I first started working in retail. Sure, it was all that was available to me back then, but that was all part of the fact that I had a rough transition after I got out of high school in 2007. Have I had a much smoother transition, I would have only had to deal with the holiday madness while I was still in school and then got out when I did.
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As a reminder, I am currently working on getting out of retail/customer service altogether and know that I am now at the point where I have enough experience in retail to share with you the downside to working during the holidays. If you work for a major retail company and feel slightly offended, don’t be. Remember that the holidays aren’t for everyone for sensory and mental health purposes.
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Catch you all later!!
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