IHOP, Starbucks, Waffle House, Panda Express, Shoney’s. This is just a small list of restaurants that will be open at some point on Christmas day, as the hours may vary by location.

Yes, I work at a restaurant and no, I don’t want to work on Christmas because I celebrate it. However, I disagree with the argument that everything should shut down on Christmas.

Now this may seem complicated, but let me explain.

We live in America with a freedom of religion, which means not everyone is Christian. For some, December 25th is just another day of the year. Some employees may actually prefer to work on the 25th if they are not Christian or don’t celebrate Christmas.

Regardless of an employee’s religious beliefs, some may find work on the 25th as a distraction from their tough family situation. Not all are fortunate enough to come home to a hot Christmas dinner with family around the table and presents under the tree. For some employees, being at work is better than the alternative of sitting at home alone on the holiday.

Establishments such as gas stations, hotels, drug stores, and hospitals are all open on Christmas and would enjoy a hot meal on break. Truck drivers are also still required to work on Christmas and would appreciate a hot Christmas breakfast at IHOP.

Employees should not be forced to work on Christmas if they celebrate it, but you would be surprised at how many of America’s workers don’t mind to work on the 25th.

A compromise would even be to have restricted hours on Christmas, which some restaurants already do.

So the next time you’re driving to Grandma’s for Christmas dinner and pass Waffle House, don’t gripe about how they should shut down. Instead, be mindful of the workers who don’t celebrate Christmas, the ones who don’t have a family, and others such as truck drivers and gas station employees that would enjoy a hot meal.