The biggest shopping day of the year is just around the corner, and retail workers are strapping in for massive crowds and long hours. But the antiwork movement has taken Reddit by storm, with users calling for the end of working—meaning no working ever again. The community is calling for an antiwork Black Friday Blackout strike. Will it do more harm than good?
What is the Black Friday strike?
The holiday season brings in hundreds of shoppers trying to find gifts for their loved ones. However, with the holiday rush comes demanding customers, long hours, and overwhelmingly stressful situations. The Black Friday Blackout is calling for workers to boycott going into work on Black Friday. Instead of dealing with the stress that comes from working the holiday weekend, Redditors urge others to join them in protesting the underpaying and overworking employees. Instead of supporting the unfair pay of low-skill employees while CEOs and high-level execs get to buy yachts and second homes, they ask employees simply not to show up.
How will this work?
Workers are planning on taking every action needed not to work the holiday. Blackout Black Friday means that workers will call out sick and instead be with their friends and family. Those who are working are encouraged to put in less effort or disrupt the workflow. They want to bring awareness to those who might not realize the mental toll retail work can take on people. Even if people aren’t working Black Friday, they encourage them to step up and become vocal about what has happened to them at work.
With the holidays coming up and worker shortages, more workers get burnt out and work long hours. Do you think the Black Friday Blackout will create worker shortages in your area? Do you think it would do more harm than good? Let us know what you think.
