Hey Germans (and other Europeans)
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You may know that here in the U.S., we have stores such as Wal-Mart that are open 24 hours a day. Is it true that there are laws in Germany that prohibit a store, such as a clothing store, from being open past a certain time? I heard that there are regulations the restrict the hours of German stores because of labor policy -- that is to keep workers from having to work certain hours. Is this true? What are the details? What other countries in Europe have this policy? I am just curious.
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You may know that here in the U.S., we have stores such as Wal-Mart that are open 24 hours a day. Is it true that there are laws in Germany that prohibit a store, such as a clothing store, from being open past a certain time? I heard that there are regulations the restrict the hours of German stores because of labor policy -- that is to keep workers from having to work certain hours. Is this true? What are the details? What other countries in Europe have this policy? I am just curious.
In Britain the supermarkets open 24 hours, the only thing they can't sell at some times is alcohol but I don't know why. "Do not inflate plain things into marvels, but reduce marvels to plain things." - Francis Bacon
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You may know that here in the U.S., we have stores such as Wal-Mart that are open 24 hours a day. Is it true that there are laws in Germany that prohibit a store, such as a clothing store, from being open past a certain time? I heard that there are regulations the restrict the hours of German stores because of labor policy -- that is to keep workers from having to work certain hours. Is this true? What are the details? What other countries in Europe have this policy? I am just curious.
In the UK stores can open 24 hours a day, but large stores like Asda (Wal Mart) have restriced opening hours on Sunday, I believe 10:00 to 16:00. But generally speaking only the large supermarkets, selling food, are open 24 hours. Plus days like Christmas Day and I belive Easter Monday stores are closed by law.
"Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog." - Doug Larson
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In Britain the supermarkets open 24 hours, the only thing they can't sell at some times is alcohol but I don't know why. "Do not inflate plain things into marvels, but reduce marvels to plain things." - Francis Bacon
Oh, you reminded me, they can't serve a policeman in uniform either! But that law is due to change shortly.
"Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog." - Doug Larson
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Oh, you reminded me, they can't serve a policeman in uniform either! But that law is due to change shortly.
"Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog." - Doug Larson
Alcohol and positions of power: a wonderful combination! :~
Microsoft MVP, Visual C# My Articles
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You may know that here in the U.S., we have stores such as Wal-Mart that are open 24 hours a day. Is it true that there are laws in Germany that prohibit a store, such as a clothing store, from being open past a certain time? I heard that there are regulations the restrict the hours of German stores because of labor policy -- that is to keep workers from having to work certain hours. Is this true? What are the details? What other countries in Europe have this policy? I am just curious.
Yes. In some places in the EU opening time is regulated and some European countries have similar laws for opening days (in particular: for sunday stores). Sometimes it is not directly regulated but the salary policies are regulated by the goverment in a way that is simply not economical to do it. We call these - the blue laws. They are a combination political cooperation between unlike partners: christian moralists (family values, christian meaning of sunday) and socialists (so called "rights" of workers). I thought you still have these in some parts of the United States? Tomaz
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You may know that here in the U.S., we have stores such as Wal-Mart that are open 24 hours a day. Is it true that there are laws in Germany that prohibit a store, such as a clothing store, from being open past a certain time? I heard that there are regulations the restrict the hours of German stores because of labor policy -- that is to keep workers from having to work certain hours. Is this true? What are the details? What other countries in Europe have this policy? I am just curious.
Here in Slovakia we have some stores (called hypermarkets) which are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and only close on Christmas / New Year's Day I think. There is no law that would prohibit this, but Catholic Church often protests about stores being open on Sunday and/or 24 hours a day. Most other supermarkets are open 7 days a week until 8PM or 10PM. I just heard a news on the radio last week - they were talking about store opening hours in Austria, where I think it is not allowed to have stores open on Sundays or until late evening, but I don't know if this is true (anybody from Austria here?) Rado
Radoslav Bielik http://www.neomyz.com/poll [^] - Get your own web poll
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You may know that here in the U.S., we have stores such as Wal-Mart that are open 24 hours a day. Is it true that there are laws in Germany that prohibit a store, such as a clothing store, from being open past a certain time? I heard that there are regulations the restrict the hours of German stores because of labor policy -- that is to keep workers from having to work certain hours. Is this true? What are the details? What other countries in Europe have this policy? I am just curious.
Yes. It's called "Ladenschlußgesetz" (closing-time law), and a nice caricature of the state of germany as a whole. The allowed general opening times are 6-20 except sundays an holidays. why: The "public services, transport and traffic" union is by far the strongest and influential (and in the western part it's "normal" to be in the union). They, of course create a huge whirlwind everytime someone tries to ignore or change the law. Theys can rely on two passages in the German Constitution ("Grundgesetz"): a) "Sundays and holidays recognized by the Land shall remain under legal protection as days of rest from work and for the promotion of spiritual purposes", and b) "Marriage and family enjoy the special protection of the state." (the latter in the sense that abolishing the closing-time would widely affect the families of salespeople - the majority being women, and not rarely single parents). Of course there are loopholes. Thge closing time law has an exception for "travel needs", which allows gas stations, shops at train stations etc. to open longer. They sell much more than actual travel needs, and many gas stations have "small supermarkets". Further exceptions exist for bakeries, newsstands, apothecaries etc. now the actual question: Do we need additional opening times? Of course I'd be happy to be able to work till 8:30pm and then still go shopping for groceries or just for fun. It would be <>inice to have all shops open all day. But you must also take into account that there's some different culture here. Abolishing closing-time law will clearly move shoppers to large shopping centers, away from the present-but-struggling smaller, often family-run stores. Having a car is not inevitable in Germany, but would be if small distributed stores would fold down completely. I don't think much future for closing time law, and sometimes it's a hassle - but it's something I can live with. No, I dont feel my "freedom" is in any way limited by this law.
we are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is Vonnegut jr.
sighist || Agile Programming | doxygen -
In the UK stores can open 24 hours a day, but large stores like Asda (Wal Mart) have restriced opening hours on Sunday, I believe 10:00 to 16:00. But generally speaking only the large supermarkets, selling food, are open 24 hours. Plus days like Christmas Day and I belive Easter Monday stores are closed by law.
"Home computers are being called upon to perform many new functions, including the consumption of homework formerly eaten by the dog." - Doug Larson
My local ASDA is open 24 hours a day every day (except Christmas Day and New Years Day) - And if it wasn't for anglicisation of Scottish culture it would probably be open on Christmas day as well. (Traditionally Christmas day was not a holiday in Scotland, Hogmanay [31st Dec] was the celebration where people gave each other presents - however this changed in the late 1960s and early 1970s)
"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him, for an investment in knowledge pays the best interest." -- Joseph E. O'Donnell Can't manage to P/Invoke that Win32 API in .NET? Why not do interop the wiki way!
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Alcohol and positions of power: a wonderful combination! :~
Microsoft MVP, Visual C# My Articles
Not just alcohol but groceries in general, at least here. The official line given to policemen in uniform is that they need to have their hands free at all times should while shopping they are called on to.. uhh.. stop a turkey stealing crook I guess. Carrying a grocery bag or pushing a trolley occupies their hands. Not shitting you. A mate is a reservist and was showing us some of the weird rules the other day. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass South Africa Ian Darling wrote: "and our loonies usually end up doing things like Monty Python." Crikey! ain't life grand?
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Not just alcohol but groceries in general, at least here. The official line given to policemen in uniform is that they need to have their hands free at all times should while shopping they are called on to.. uhh.. stop a turkey stealing crook I guess. Carrying a grocery bag or pushing a trolley occupies their hands. Not shitting you. A mate is a reservist and was showing us some of the weird rules the other day. regards, Paul Watson Bluegrass South Africa Ian Darling wrote: "and our loonies usually end up doing things like Monty Python." Crikey! ain't life grand?
Interesting. Although I was referring to the fact that drunk people do stupid things (loss of inhibitions which limit behavior; as I see it one's true self comes out when they're drunk). So, add that to the equation with someone that is in a position of power (perhaps more than they really have - it happens in any field) and that could be very dangerous to those they stop on the road.
Microsoft MVP, Visual C# My Articles
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Yes. In some places in the EU opening time is regulated and some European countries have similar laws for opening days (in particular: for sunday stores). Sometimes it is not directly regulated but the salary policies are regulated by the goverment in a way that is simply not economical to do it. We call these - the blue laws. They are a combination political cooperation between unlike partners: christian moralists (family values, christian meaning of sunday) and socialists (so called "rights" of workers). I thought you still have these in some parts of the United States? Tomaz
Tomaž Štih wrote: I thought you still have these in some parts of the United States? It's a big country -- there is a lot of variation. I grew up in a small town. For some strange reason, the small locally owned stores in that town were all closed on Wednesday as well as Sunday. Within the last ten years, the town got a Wal-Mart. I don't what happened to the Wednesday closing thing. Wal-Mart must have been a big influence in changing these closing time laws. Wal-Mart got started in small towns. All of a sudden, here was Wal-Mart selling everything cheap, and in many cases open 24-hours if not until Midnight. I hate shopping in Wal-Mart but I have no problem with their business practices.
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Yes. It's called "Ladenschlußgesetz" (closing-time law), and a nice caricature of the state of germany as a whole. The allowed general opening times are 6-20 except sundays an holidays. why: The "public services, transport and traffic" union is by far the strongest and influential (and in the western part it's "normal" to be in the union). They, of course create a huge whirlwind everytime someone tries to ignore or change the law. Theys can rely on two passages in the German Constitution ("Grundgesetz"): a) "Sundays and holidays recognized by the Land shall remain under legal protection as days of rest from work and for the promotion of spiritual purposes", and b) "Marriage and family enjoy the special protection of the state." (the latter in the sense that abolishing the closing-time would widely affect the families of salespeople - the majority being women, and not rarely single parents). Of course there are loopholes. Thge closing time law has an exception for "travel needs", which allows gas stations, shops at train stations etc. to open longer. They sell much more than actual travel needs, and many gas stations have "small supermarkets". Further exceptions exist for bakeries, newsstands, apothecaries etc. now the actual question: Do we need additional opening times? Of course I'd be happy to be able to work till 8:30pm and then still go shopping for groceries or just for fun. It would be <>inice to have all shops open all day. But you must also take into account that there's some different culture here. Abolishing closing-time law will clearly move shoppers to large shopping centers, away from the present-but-struggling smaller, often family-run stores. Having a car is not inevitable in Germany, but would be if small distributed stores would fold down completely. I don't think much future for closing time law, and sometimes it's a hassle - but it's something I can live with. No, I dont feel my "freedom" is in any way limited by this law.
we are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is Vonnegut jr.
sighist || Agile Programming | doxygenpeterchen wrote: Do we need additional opening times? No, until you run out of toilet paper on Sunday morning. Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
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peterchen wrote: Do we need additional opening times? No, until you run out of toilet paper on Sunday morning. Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
:-D a little bit of planning can help that... Actually, if oyu're used to this, it's not a problem. otherwise you have to use "surrogates" (like old newspapers) ask your neighbours :cool:
we are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is Vonnegut jr.
sighist || Agile Programming | doxygen