Everyone knows about Santa Claus and his elves. No one talks about Santa’s other over-worked helpers. 

Although December may be the time for candy canes and gingerbread, things aren’t so sweet for teen retail workers during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

From rude customers to packed stores to piling school work, it can’t be a difficult time for North Penn students in the workforce. 

With the fast-paced environment and demanding customers, Starbucks can be especially stressful during the holidays as shoppers seek a caffeine boost. Though it’s infamous that people are rude before their morning cup of coffee, this time of year goes to a new extreme.

“There are a lot of customers that are rude to us and yell at us because we didn’t do our job fast enough, quick enough,” said North Penn senior Sierra Sheets, who works as a barista. “I don’t think customers understand that sometimes it is a lot for us to handle. I don’t know, I think there’s just a lot of customers because of the holiday season.”

However, the rude treatment of retail workers isn’t limited to just one store. 

North Penn senior Alyssa Thomas works at Weis, and though they usually have a repetitive and well-paced job, during the holiday season things can get a little more stressful. 

“(Customers) are definitely more moody when they can’t get the thing that they want, like if there’s a certain seasonal thing and we don’t have it,” said Thomas. “So many people come in asking for like crushed candy cane and we don’t have it and it ruins their day, their whole energy shifts.”

While the influx of demand during the holidays in the retail business is real, so too are the inevitable last-minute deadlines in the classroom. 

“By the time that I do get home, I’m really tired from school, so I usually try to take a little nap because I’m just exhausted and then I know I have to go to work,” said Sheets. “I have been struggling to get readings done, and certain school work done — writing essays and all that — just because I really don’t have the time to.”

With all the piling stressors, many teens simply struggle to keep up. 

“I did cut down my hours a bit, Starbucks is very lenient with that, they understand,” Sheets said. “It is still a lot to handle, especially during the holidays and with tests and all that.”