The unfortunate few people who have to punch a timecard on Christmas Day said they have found ways to cope with holiday work.

Some said their holiday plans for the most part will wrap up around midafternoon today, so working at night relieves a great deal of holiday boredom.

Other laborers said they volunteered to work to give their co-workers with families a holiday break.

Among the convenience stores that will be open today is Kmart Express, a combination gas station and grocery store that recently opened on Hicks Drive.

Lead associate Jonathan Sanders said he expects business to remain busy from not only travelers but also people who are looking for that special last-minute gift.

“I don’t really have any immediate family so, by me working, it keeps someone who has a family from having to work,” said Sanders in a telephone interview Monday as he rang up merchandise for shoppers.

He said working holidays has become a way of life since people still need to refuel their vehicles on the way to the homes of family and friends.

A few of those people who always work, but are rarely seen until something goes wrong, are emergency medical technicians.

The activity of police officers generally slows during the holidays but ambulance personnel said they don’t really see a decline.

Often they see people who are depressed during the holidays, said David Young, EMT supervisor at Floyd Medical Center. They also encounter people who trip over their Christmas tree or drink a little too much eggnog.

“You get to see a lot of different people and how they celebrate Christmas,” he said.

However, the Young family has found a ways to adapt, he said.

His shift ends at 7 a.m. today so Young will be home in time to enjoy Christmas with his wife and 4-year old son, Hunter.

Hunter spent Christmas Eve with his grandparents so Young will pick him up this morning and take him home to discover what Santa Claus has left under the tree.

“We had to explain (to Hun-ter) that Santa knows everything he’s doing and won’t skip over him,” Young said.

“I would rather be home but this is the job I chose and it’s sometimes necessary for me to have to work during the holidays.” he said. “You have to take the good with the bad.