Introduction
Some stores do not open on Sundays either because it is part of the state laws or company policy. Another reason why they do this is that they are religious. This is also a good break away from the job. Especially if they open for 120 hours a week. There may just be a general off day for everyone according to the state. In the United States, these are called blue laws. Here are the Jobs That are Closed on Sundays.
Most small businesses that do not necessarily have to be open every day usually take a break on Sundays. In some states, these laws are very strict and disobedience could attract some sort of punishment. I will state reasons why these weekends are important. Read on to find out!
Banks, offices, and schools usually open every other day besides Saturday and Sunday. Hospitals are open 24/7. The emergency unit stays open at all times in case someone requires immediate medical attention.
Reasons why jobs closing on Sundays are important
- To take a break:
Rest is very crucial to your health. These weekend breaks provide an opportunity for you to rest. After an entire week of working nonstop, this weekend break will help you a great deal. A whole day you could use to have some time for yourself and to get enough sleep. As much as your physical health is important, your mental health is as well.
Relaxing helps you to ease some stress. You could engage in some yoga, go on walks or do anything that makes you feel relaxed. This helps to keep your mental health in check. It will help gather enough energy for your next week of work both mentally and physically.
- Time with family and friends:
You wake up Monday morning by 5:00 am to prepare for work. You leave your home by 7:00 am and you are busy at work till about 9:00 pm. After a long day at work, you come home tired and all you can think about is a warm shower and sleep.
You barely get to spend time with your family and friends while you spend all days of the week at work. The weekend is a great opportunity to do all of that. Spending time with family could be part of your recuperating process. Being around the people that care about you could serve as a coping mechanism especially if you had a very hectic week.
- Respect for religion:
Christianity is the largest religious group in the world. It is widely practiced. The general worship day for Christians to honor their belief is Sunday. Sunday serves as their sabbath day which is for rest and fellowship. The fact that it is mandatory in some workplaces that Sunday is an off day, does not necessarily mean that all the workers are Christians. It is just a sign of respect for the religion on behalf of some Christians who may work there.
- Health reasons:
After working long hours for an entire week, rest is needed. The brain needs time to relax and the body as well. You spend so long sitting in front of a computer screen straining your back for a long time. Your eyes also need a break from the light coming from the desktop screen. Your muscles also need enough rest.
Especially if your job requires you to engage in physical activities frequently. Working nonstop without taking a break once would be harmful to the body. You start to feel tired frequently and you may form irregular sleeping habits. This will reduce your level of productivity at work.
- Motivation:
The weekend break could serve as something to look forward to at the end of the week. This could help in your daily performance throughout the week. You work more efficiently by trying to get all the work you have done in that week. This is so you don’t have some carryover work to take care of during the weekend. some sort of motivation when you are at work. It gives you something to look forward to. You get that much-needed motivation!
How off days are decided?
A lot of states in the United States have restrictions from working or performing certain activities for religious reasons specifically. Sunday as an off day is an opportunity to take a break from work and for citizens to exercise their religious rights. This law is mandatory in a few states and you may live in one of them. You might not be religious but this could just be a good opportunity to just take a breather. A break from a long stressful week.
These laws are downplayed and overlooked in some states because refusal to adhere to them does not attract any serious punishment. Blue laws are laws that have to do with the prohibition of any secular activity on a Sunday. In the early years, this law was upheld very strictly compared to the way it is. Some people argued that these laws were unfair to make for the general public. In the sense that they may feel some sort of obligation to take part in religious gatherings.
Off days like Sundays are usually decided based on necessities. The needs and wants of the customers are put into consideration. Hospitals, Hotels, and some restaurants open every day. Hospitals remain open for emergencies and the workers take shifts to ensure maximum productivity. Especially if a delay in treatment could lead to a fatality.
Hotels would be useful when you arrive in a foreign city and you need a place to spend the night. All these places remain open based on necessity. To ensure that services are efficiently provided to the customers, there are shifts. At night all those that were on duty all through the day get to go home and have some rest for the following day.
These Sunday off days may not necessarily be company policies. When you have been given a job position, you can request off days during the weekends. You do this professionally so your boss will put your request into consideration. As of now in the majority of states in the U.S, most jobs require to work 7 days a week.
Shifts are taken from different hours. You would rarely see workplaces closed even at midnight. The blue laws are not as strict as they used to be. Even if Sunday is posed as a general day off for rest you could still go ahead and get some work done in your home.
How do you avoid working during the weekend?
Your workplace may not require you to engage in work during your off day. You may believe that doing some extra work during the period you are supposed to be resting is the best. It is not. Yes, you get all the job done but you limit your sleeping time. The time you need to relax for the following week.
Overworking could lead to various health complications and like I said earlier, it could affect your mental health a great deal. Your physical health as well. There are depression, Insomnia, relationship problems and so many other negative outcomes to swamping yourself with work. Some may use work as a coping mechanism to get away from a particular situation they are in life. They use it as a distraction but the best thing to do is to deal with it head-on or get some help.
The truth is, work will only serve as a distraction for a while and eventually you get to face the same problem. You are simply delaying the inevitable. When you apply for a job, you may be told that you are supposed to work on weekends and in that case, you could negotiate the terms if possible.
As much as you may want that job, it mustn’t be detrimental to your health in any way. That you will be able to perform as efficiently as possible. Making sure that you finish your work in time during the week is very crucial to your weekend off days. As long as all the work you have to do is done, you do not have to carry it over into the weekend.
You may start working somewhere new and you find out there are no off days. You can request one from your boss. Your request may not yield any change and you feel that at least one off-day should be incorporated into your work schedule. This could be a sign that the firm may not be the right fit for you. It simply does not meet up with your criteria and so you can choose to move on from there.
Conclusion
Days off as I have explained above are very important. It provides a window for a stress-free day to relax and spend time with friends and family. Besides all of that, it also gives you time for yourself. Get a spa day, do whatever makes you feel relaxed!
