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I don't get MLK Jr. Day off (self.firstworldproblems)

submitted ago by Bendetta327

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[–]allstick 146 points147 points ago

As a veteran, I had to work on veterans day installing cable in houses of non-veterans who were off for the holiday.

[–]chainfyre 21 points22 points ago

This is turrible. If I were off and you were installing my cable, I would give you a hefty tip and a hats off, good serviceperson.

[–]RMSBeardedLesbian 46 points47 points ago

This is turrible.

I read that in Charles Barkley's voice.

[–]Dr-Farnsworth 32 points33 points ago

Cleveland Brown

[–]chainfyre 6 points7 points ago

As well you should! That's exactly how I intend it :D

[–]catmoon 2 points3 points ago

I read that in my voice because you didn't use any catch phrases :(

[–]chainfyre 0 points1 point ago

Five dollar box, it rocks it rocks!

[–]BaconButter007 0 points1 point ago

I would tell him to go home and have the asshole who told him to do it, do it.

[–]Karl_Marx_ 2 points3 points ago

Boo.

[–]ksandifer138 20 points21 points ago

We used to get MLK day off. Until my boss found out it was celebrating MLK's birthday and not the day he died. Now we have to work.

True story.

[–]runtheplacered 4 points5 points ago

Say "Geez. Even the mayor of Hiroshima observes MLK Day, boss."

[–]CrunchyWalrus 0 points1 point ago

TIL

[–]keyfusion 1 point2 points ago

Tell him its James Earl Ray day.

[–]ksandifer138 0 points1 point ago

Haha I'm going to try this tomorrow. Bet you he doesn't even know who that is :-/

[–]parliament- 50 points51 points ago

Ughhh, as a white male from California, I feel I deserve the day off too!

[–]SavageNoble 61 points62 points ago

As a black male, I demand today off, plus an additional day off for every Martin Luther King Jr day I've had to work in the past. Reparations!

[–]rcglinsk 88 points89 points ago

Would you settle for three fifths of the previous days off?

Yeah, I'm going straight to hell.

[–]dollabills 13 points14 points ago

I laughed my ass off. I'm going to hell too.

[–]liljames 6 points7 points ago

Life is about compromises

[–]ericchenDUCK 1 point2 points ago

I'm dumb and don't get the joke. Explain please?

[–]rcglinsk 2 points3 points ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Fifths_Compromise

[–]ericchenDUCK 2 points3 points ago

Ha, thats hilarious (as in the joke, not the compromise). Thanks.

[–]HitTheGymAndLawyerUp 2 points3 points ago

Compromise is pretty funny too.

"Well guys, we don't think of slaves as people, but we can't count them as not people because slave owners are getting uppity, so let's count them as sort of people."

[–]steve-d 8 points9 points ago

Have you asked your bosses? I doubt they would refuse your request. /white guilt

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points ago

it's a federal holiday but if you have to work most places will give you the day off upon request but you will not be paid.

[–]catmoon 1 point2 points ago

That's not really a day off is it? I once had a boss suggest that maybe I take a month off of unpaid vacation since there were budget issues. I told him that I'd rather not...

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points ago

I work for a small business, we get 3 paid days off a year. We have very diverse emplyee backgrounds. If you feel you should have a day off for something they will allow it, but you're not paid. Most people working for small business state the same. If I owned a company it would make sense... if getting that day off is so important that you need it off, it should be more important than getting paid. Still, people need days off and breaks from work for multiple reasons... maintaining sanity being #1.

[–]pokie6 0 points1 point ago

Pretty much any workplace will give you lots of unpaid leave. It's not like they have to pay for it! America's obsession with "hard" work is pretty staggering. Long holidays are probably the only thing I miss about Russia.

[–]Horny_Dalek 0 points1 point ago

Or get February off!

[–]ub3rmenschen 0 points1 point ago

I'll give you forty acres and a mule for every day you had to work, how about that?

[–]TheOnlyBoss 1 point2 points ago

It is Robert E. Lee day also

[–]Furiousmoe 7 points8 points ago

I feel bad for the one black guy at my company.

[–]GrandImperial 7 points8 points ago

I have a name!

[–]Skyler0 4 points5 points ago

pfft I'm Canadian. I didn't even know it was MLK Jr. day. It's just Monday here.

[–]iamanoxymoronDUCK 0 points1 point ago

I am Australian. I thought MLK day was something to do with Michael Jackson. It is Tuesday here.

[–]thegrumpysnail 7 points8 points ago

I don't either. It's hard out here for a privileged, white American.

[–]AutoBear 13 points14 points ago

I'm British :C

[–]BarelyComical 5 points6 points ago

Same here! I'm just going to be on Reddit for 8 hours in protest.

[–]chetoflep 6 points7 points ago

occupyMLKday?

[–]Party_Ninja 5 points6 points ago

I also work for a racist company (or so it would appear).

[–]chetoflep 2 points3 points ago

Hey me too, I'm the only brown kid. There's one black chick that works with us. There are close to 30 of us total.

[–]Party_Ninja 0 points1 point ago

So...equal opportunity racists? That's essentially what my company is - we don't really receive any holidays save for a day for Christmas and one for Thanksgiving and 4th of July.

[–]chetoflep 2 points3 points ago

Same, we also get Black Friday off though. Lots of spenders big spenders here.

[–]Party_Ninja 1 point2 points ago

Small business? I work for a family owned company.

[–]chetoflep 1 point2 points ago

Small business, group of surgeons.

[–]Party_Ninja 1 point2 points ago

Surgeons - explains why they don't give holidays. I work for a jewish owned plumbing supply house. We're not big on being a part of anything, really. Ever.

[–]chetoflep 1 point2 points ago

It costs money to do that. My old boss was Jewish. I don't know if that has anything to do with it but we had a lot of half days on days it should have been a full day off.

[–]Party_Ninja 1 point2 points ago*

For us, it's more that they don't observe Christian holidays, which tend to be the "bank holidays", so they don't feel they're required to give days off if they intend to be at the office. By the same token, though, they don't give jewish religious holidays as paid vacation...and all have unlimited vacation time. They do own the company, though, so I suppose I could do the same if I were in charge.

In short: it's good to be the king.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points ago*

I'm in Canada, since we didn't oppress black people at the same level as America we have no civil rights leader on par with an MLK, meaning I also work today, and at normal pay.

So, to over simplify things and ignore certain parts of our history:

"I work in a country that didn't have slaves, thus I have to work today"

[–]Doughy27 31 points32 points ago

Canada had slaves.

[–][deleted] 25 points26 points ago*

and ignore certain parts of our history

Canada had just over 4,000 slaves, and never while actually Canada

[–]Skyler0 11 points12 points ago

So I don't have to feel so terrible for being white?

[–]HitTheGymAndLawyerUp 2 points3 points ago

If you're Canadian you're already apologetic.

[–]b_blizzy 2 points3 points ago

Well played good sir. I was about to send you an stern uppercase (yes uppercase) response until I re-read your post and finally noticed the sentence "...and ignore certain parts of our history".

I apologize for all the mean shit I may have thought about you.

[–]Du_Roy 6 points7 points ago

"What are black people? I had to work today." FTFY

[–]The_Chief 2 points3 points ago

Goddam French!

[–]dude6[!] 2 points3 points ago

So do I - Now I regret giving the servant the day off

[–]blue_lotion 2 points3 points ago

I dunno, most people I know who get it off have shitty jobs.

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]Almondcoconuts 16 points17 points ago

You say IT I hear reddit all day

[–]BoonTobias 0 points1 point ago

Not really, i have a small time job at a newspaper and we are open today. My gf works for a big investment company and all their offices across the nation are closed

[–]Dark1000 0 points1 point ago

Banks and the stock indices are closed. Thus, a bank holiday.

[–]the_nil -1 points0 points ago*

I agree. Big businesses (in this case representing non-shitty jobs) would never close for a holiday that would allow more time for customers to spend their money.

EDIT: retail businesses would have been a better choice of words.

[–]Gwohl 14 points15 points ago

What are you talking about dude? The stock market is on holiday today. A large number of very highly-paid financial workers are off from work today.

[–]the_nil 0 points1 point ago

Retail stores account for lots of business. Some of them big businesses.

[–]RMSBeardedLesbian 2 points3 points ago

OMG EVIL BIG BUSINESS AND CORPORATIONS AND REPUBLICANS

[–]the_nil 1 point2 points ago

wat?

[–]RMSBeardedLesbian 0 points1 point ago

You were ranting against big business. I joined in. RAWWWRRR! FUCK COMPANIES AND CORPORATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS AND REPUBLICANS HURR DURR!

[–]the_nil 1 point2 points ago

That explains the downvotes. I thought I was just pointing out that retail would be foolish to close on a holiday such as this. I was rather confused about the response. hahaah

[–]Zorbick 1 point2 points ago

Every major auto manufacturer is shut down today. Their full service suppliers? Yeah, we're working our asses off. AND WE LIKE IT.

[–]anothertran 3 points4 points ago

http://i.imgur.com/obOR4.jpg
The private sector does not care about black people.
(The markets, govt, and schools do though)

[–]Almondcoconuts 1 point2 points ago

The look on Christ Tucker and Mike Meyers faces after he said that was priceless.

[–]accountnumber3 0 points1 point ago

I do, but I have a lot of work to do and today would be a perfect day to get it done.

[–]Slick37c 1 point2 points ago

I'm union and we traded veterans day for MLK day. How f'd in the a is that?

[–]grdlock 0 points1 point ago

I HAD the day off, but my boss guilted me into coming in so I could get more training on our new VOIP system.

[–]TattooedLizard 0 points1 point ago

I dont get the day off either :(

[–]tallahassee_smith 0 points1 point ago

Neither do I.

[–]corruptsoul98 0 points1 point ago

I didn't get the Monday after new years off. Tough luck.

[–]kabwar 0 points1 point ago

I don't either, but almost all of our clients do, so I'm basically here for almost no reason.

[–]burf 0 points1 point ago

As an ignorant Canadian, I was wondering why they were showing hockey games on a Monday afternoon.

[–]runtheplacered 1 point2 points ago

Toronto apparently celebrates it, in at least some small way.

[–]SlapHappyDude 1 point2 points ago

I'm working today too, but I'm hourly so I don't mind. Plus, easy commute!

[–]deaft 2 points3 points ago

Easy commute means I can't sit in my jaguar long enough to hear an entire album. :*(

[–]mjfikes 0 points1 point ago

I either get it off, can work it and bank the day off for later, or get paid double!

[–]travdaddy 0 points1 point ago

Well ain't that a bitch!

[–]King_Rafiki 0 points1 point ago

Racist bastards.

[–]DoNotReadThis 0 points1 point ago

That is discrimination!

[–]rocketwidget 0 points1 point ago

Wait, isn't not getting MLK Jr. day off explicitly not a first world problem? It's a US only holiday...

[–]Hector_Kur 0 points1 point ago

I don't know anyone who does get the day off unless they work at a school.

[–]torrunh 0 points1 point ago

I'm writing this at work - I guess my boss just doesn't appreciate MLK haha

[–]TheRealBuzzLightyear 0 points1 point ago

Not only did I not get the day off work but I still had classes as well.

Do I win, guys?

[–]iamanoxymoronDUCK 0 points1 point ago

Isn't this a Third World Problem? First World people get any friggn day off they want.

[–]reddelicious77 0 points1 point ago

no day off? man... kinda makes you wonder: What was it all for?

[–]gtjini 1 point2 points ago

I demand I be compensated by getting Gandhi day off.

[–]Enceladus_Salad 0 points1 point ago

Even James Earl Ray, the guy who shot him, would get MLK day off.

[–]jmanpc 0 points1 point ago

If you didn't take today off, you're a RACIST!

[–]CigarLover 0 points1 point ago

I don't get it either. The kids should be at school and spend the whole day learning about civil rights.

[–]Prep_ -3 points-2 points ago

That's waisis!!!

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