Snow Favors Not the Retail Workers

There has to be at least 6-8 inches of snow on the ground at my work. People are getting stuck in snow all around western Washington. It's Monday, and many employers are staying closed for the day. Government agencies are, I'm quite sure, closed for the day. There is no reason for anyone to be out and about in this kind of extreme winter weather. But retail businesses are open, despite all of this. Those of us who work in retail are expected to tough it out and get to work so we can serve all of the people who had the benefit of being released from their obligation to come into work today. Bookstores, coffee shops, shopping centers, and the like are all open (with some extreme exceptions here and there, and I offer none for supporting my argument) so we can not only serve you lucky bastards, but also, because (in this economy) we can't afford to close. We close for the day, we lose all the money we could potentially earn. Government agencies can still pay their employees if they close for the day because they are not depending on bringing in money today. So, let it be known that I do understand the various reasons why we, as a retail store, are still open despite all the weather warnings and conditions.