Dollar General holiday scheduling draws worker complaints over inconsistency

Multiple frontline posts and comment threads from Dollar General employees between December 9 and 13, 2025 chronicled frustrations with holiday week scheduling, unclear holiday pay, and bonus practices that vary by store. Workers and some managers said schedules for the week of Christmas were unusually heavy, with several managers reporting expectations to work 48 or more hours. Staffers also described frequent requests to pick up last minute shifts and complaints about understaffing during peak hours, which they said increased stress and workplace risk.

Accounts showed confusion and variability about which holidays are paid at the store level. Some employees reported that Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter appear as paid holiday events for certain roles, while other holidays were not consistently listed or honored. That inconsistency left many hourly workers unsure whether they would receive pay premiums for working holidays or be scheduled off.

Managers who posted noted that quarterly bonuses and shrink related payouts exist, but that those incentives are uneven across locations. Several managers described bonuses as contingent on meeting inventory or sales targets, and added that tax withholding and other deductions often reduced the takehome benefit significantly.

These first person accounts highlight the gap between corporate policy language and what plays out in individual stores. Unpredictable schedules and last minute shift coverage can undermine employee retention, and extended hours during a high traffic holiday week raise concerns about fatigue and safety for both workers and customers. The uneven administration of paid holidays and incentives also complicates morale, especially for lower paid associates who rely on predictable scheduling and supplemental pay.

For employees, the posts illuminate practical questions about scheduling transparency, eligibility for holiday pay and how bonuses are calculated. For managers, the threads underline the operational strain of staffing busy periods and the challenge of balancing customer demand with workforce capacity. The episodes reported in early to mid December suggest that clearer guidance and consistent application of holiday and bonus policies could reduce confusion and improve outcomes during peak retail weeks.