Work advice: I called out a business for making employees work on a holiday. I was mortified by their response.

Each week, Prudence asks readers for their thoughts on the letters she’s received. Her reply will be available every Friday only for Slate Plus members .

Hey Prudence,

Re Not Really a Fan of Turkey Anyway: I used to think just like the letter writer’s friends. I even went so far as to call out the manager of a franchised coffee shop about how immoral it was to force workers to labor on what should be a holiday for everyone. Then a comment forced me to rethink everything.

I was abruptly told to check my privilege. The manager curtly pointed out that everyone there had specifically asked to work that day, and I realized that most of the employees either needed the paycheck (hourly workers aren’t typically paid for national holidays if they don’t work) or wanted to escape