|Mint|
Despite the somber mood in Britain following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, decisions to shut down much of the economy on the day of her funeral have drawn criticism, online mockery and, in some cases, widespread confusion.
No school, no McDonald’s, no movies tomorrow as Britain shuts down for Queen Elizabeth's funeral. The government has declared a public holiday for the funeral and it could command a higher audience than seen for other major events from recent British history including Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, the 2012 London Olympics and royal weddings.
Schools will be closed, but companies were left to decide whether or not to stay open -- albeit with employers “encouraged to respond sensitively" to requests from their staff to have the time off work.
The guidance presented a dilemma to businesses such as shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels. If they closed to allow employees the day off, they risked accusations of denying basic services to the public. Staying open, however, would require staffing -- made even trickier by expectations that workers should not be docked pay if they wished to mourn or pay their respects to the Queen.
Some firms struggled with the decision and ended up infuriating customers and suffering a wave of negative publicity. Center Parcs UK Group Ltd., which operates five resorts in the UK, said it would close on the Monday, meaning that families would have to cut short their breaks and either travel home or find a different hotel.
Following a public backlash, Center Parcs decided to allow visitors to stay but said they would have to remain in their rooms or lodges -- prompting another outcry, until it clarified that customers would be able to walk around the parks and holiday villages. Its facilities will be closed.
(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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