A Holiday Temp Worker's Day in the Life

It’s just after 11 a.m. on a cold December day in East London, and I’m still in bed. Not my bed, but a $1,250 double bed on the second floor of the 260,000-square-foot John Lewis department store in the Stratford City mall, where I’m moonlighting as a temporary holiday worker. My job is to make the bed—a simple task, one would think, but I’m unable to master the precise placement and folds of the dual duvets, various cushions, and faux-suede throw.

Thankfully, Jaimini Chudasama, a full-time employee who’s shadowing me in the home department, walks me through the process. Before long—or at least before any customers notice—the bed is back to its pristine condition. I redeem myself slightly by deftly decorating a $280 Christmas tree lacquered with fake spray-on snow. It’s a hot seller this year and already out of stock.