Home Bargains To Close On Boxing Day So Staff Can 'Enjoy' Christmas

It's a little over a month until Christmas now, and whether it's your favourite time of year or you're a scrooge, surely all of us look forward to a day of eating and drinking to excess.

Home Bargains employees should be particularly excited by the prospect, as they've all been given Boxing Day off - meaning they won't have to work through a turkey and Baileys hangover cocktail.

PA

It's the second year in a row the discount retailer has made the admirable move, which will mean all of its 500 stores will stay closed for an extra day over the festive period.

Announcing the news on Twitter and Instagram, the chain said: "To all our staff: Thank you for all your hard work once again this year. All our stores will be closed on Boxing Day to ensure you are able to spend time with your friends and family. We hope you enjoy the Christmas holiday.

"To our customers: All of our stores will be closed on Boxing Day this year to ensure all our hard working staff are able to enjoy the Christmas break. Our stores will open on the 27th December. Thank you for your understanding and support.

"Thanks again from all at HB x"

The company employs around 22,000 staff, with the full-timers getting the national legal minimum of 28 days off, with the Boxing Day closure taking it up to 29 days paid leave.

The store has been widely praised for the move on social media - at least by those who managed to avoid being overcome with bitterness and envy.

One person said: "I take my hat off to you Home Bargains, all the other stores should take a leaf out of your book!!

Another said: "Love this, well done for giving your staff the opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones."

A third added: "This is brilliant! I mean I love HB, but I can resist the urge to shop for 2 days. Shame all of retail isn't doing the same."

For those of you who don't give a t**s about the well-being of Home Bargains staff and can't bear the thought of waiting until the 27 December to visit the store, it's worth remembering that Boxing Day is in fact even more special than Christmas Day and should be spent eating leftovers and watching football.

Topics: Christmas, uk news

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey