Senior Savannah Federspiel won’t be working at Piada on Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. She didn’t work on Thanksgiving, either. Because of Piada’s company policy, she won’t be working on any other major holidays.

Like Federspiel, many other working students will not work during the winter holidays because stores like Piada want to give their employees a chance to spend this time with their families. According to The Huffington Post, Julie Johnson Bull, Dillard’s director of investor relations, said the store’s reasoning for not opening on Christmas was, “We choose to remain closed in longstanding tradition of honoring of our customers’ and associates’ time with family.”

“I love the company’s policy of (not working during major holidays), and I am glad that they respect the holidays,” Federspiel said. “Workers deserve to be with their families and close friends. They shouldn’t have to work.”

The current trend for retailers is to open earlier than the competition on major holidays. According to a November TIME article, stores like CVS, Walgreens and Starbucks stay open for over 40 hours in a row on these days. However, some national retailers are trying to combat what critics describe as “ruining the holidays.” Such stores include Costco, Nordstrom, Von Maur, Sam’s Club and DSW.

Business teacher Rob Holman said he commends stores that remain closed on major holidays.

“There’s a clear dilemma that companies have. On one hand, companies are trying to be open more, so they can make more profits. It’s a profit-versus-social responsibility thing with your employees,” he said. “There are stores that are opening early, but what they’re losing is that their employees are having to take time off during the holidays. This puts pressure on the stores to make a decision. I applaud the companies like Costco that are saying, ‘We’re going to take care of our employees and let them take time off to be with their families.’”

Like Costco, DSW wrote on its Facebook page that it believes family comes first, so its stores would remain closed on Christmas.

According to the TIME article, Von Maur president Jim von Maur said, “Some things are sacred, including spending time with family and loved ones on Thanksgiving and other holidays (such as Christmas). We profitably run our business during the remaining 358 days of the year, so we don’t have to sacrifice tradition for sales. Our family-oriented focus has been the cornerstone of our culture since 1872, and that is never going to change.”

Federspiel said she agrees.

“The true meaning of the holidays is to be with family, and be thankful and happy for who and what you have,” she said.

This year, many stores will begin holiday sales a couple days early. On Dec. 23, Macy’s plans to open from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. on Dec. 24. For employees, that means a workday extended by four hours, since Macy’s normally closes at 10 p.m. Some stores plan to stay open all day, like Walgreens. As a result, over a million of Walgreens’s employees will have to work on the holidays.

Holman said he recognizes the consequences of closing during major holidays.

“There’s a balance. Some people are going to shop on Christmas that won’t be able to go to Costco and Nordstrom. It’s a risk these stores take,” he said.

Despite all the sales stores make on big holidays, those like Nordstrom and Costco that close may benefit more; opening earlier doesn’t necessarily translate to higher profits. Across the nation last year, Christmas sales decreased by 2.9 percent from 2012 to around $60 billion, according to a November Omaha World Herald article.

Holman said, “These stores won’t be at a big disadvantage for closing. Being open on Christmas, obviously you’re going to sell more, but these stores are so big, it’s not going to make a difference. If people know these stores are going to be closing, they’re going to make time to shop there on other days. In the end, these are the companies that can reap rewards from this process.”

Like Federspiel, senior Courtney Glait, who works at Education Station USA, won’t be working during the holidays. She also said she believes that closing on major holidays won’t be a setback for national retailers.

“If people view the holidays as a sentimental time to spend with family, they’ll still view holidays as such. If people view holidays as a time to eat a bunch of food or buy or give a ton of presents, they’re just going to buy food and presents in advance, before these stores close,” she said.

According to an October ThinkProgress article, half of the consumers surveyed disapprove of opening early on major holidays. Twenty percent said they wouldn’t be as likely to shop at stores open on Christmas. Instead, 55 percent said they planned to shop after the holidays are over.

Along with Federspiel, Glait said she doesn’t let the closing of stores on major holidays affect her.

“I don’t really shop (on these holidays). Ever. Closing these stores for a couple of days isn’t going to affect me,” Glait said. “Christmas is a holiday that is meant to be spent with family, so I think it’s fair if stores will allow their employees to do so.”

Employees of stores that open on major holidays often take this time for vacation. As a result, these stores have openings that need to be filled, often with volunteers. Many employees, though, don’t get a choice because they aren’t guaranteed paid holidays or may have their requests to take the day off denied. According to the ThinkProgress article, only 45 percent of retail employees get paid extra for working during major holidays.

Holman said that the biggest disadvantage for stores to remain open is caused by keeping employees at work because the stores often have to pay them as if they were working overtime.

With stores allowing employees to spend time with family, Federspiel said she believes there will be a shift back to the true meaning of the holidays.

“There are times when you really need a day off. You can’t really enjoy a time when you’re supposed to celebrate with people you love while you’re working,” she said. “The holidays are when family gets to be together and gets to spend time with each other. You shouldn’t have to worry about working or missing valuable time with family and friends.”