Phoning in sick on Christmas Day?

But you can have Christmas Day any day, it is only a sacrifice on paper. If we have a boxing day Christmas we do it the same as we would Christmas Day- mum puts on Christmas music, we have the full turkey dinner, presents after lunch, games etc. The only thing you might be missing is the Christmas church services if they were important to you. Kings speech and Christmas telly could even be watched on catch up if you wanted to stick to traditions.

I actually really like having our Christmas a day or two after now we are used to the idea- sometimes family or friends who had their Christmas day with others can join us for our Christmas too and we get a larger celebration than we would otherwise have done.

@Krumblina the bosses have probably spent time working their way up in the sector and have likely more than done their time at the shitty end of the rota.

Also - the OP is a receptionist, they are not receptionists. Obviously the person who actually holds the job should do the job before anyone else has to cover.

Bloody Hell calm down.

Her elderly father comes before any corporation.

Get another job .I worked in NHS dh in social care our ds opened some presents at his grans one Yr as we were both working a night shift Christmas eve .He was 5 it was horrible but santa left some there for him and some at home as it was a special arrangement for workers 😉. The whole world can't stop for Christmas sadly . Celebrate before or after with your dad

Plenty of people work Christmas Day. My own parents are in hospitality related jobs and we managed fine my whole life.

If you don't want to do it, change jobs. But working Christmas Day is really not the end of the world.

The hotel is a business. A lot of hospitality businesses need the money they make in December to sustain the business in the quieter months.

The Brittas Empire?

If you’re not intending to cover your shifts (of which you’ve been given 4 months notice) then you should quit your job now.

No one is forcing you to work there.

You would be wrong to phone in sick.

Why will her Christmas be ruined? Or her birthday? There have been plenty of suggestions of ways around this. And as for leaving her dad on his own, unless she has him tucked up under the reception desk * when she is working, he is left on his own when she is working normal shifts.

• there was a sitcom many years ago when a receptionist did this with her children!

I think the point is that the Op is no more special than any other employee and somebody has to work the shift
I have worked loads of Xmas days and yes it sucks ,but when you work in an industry that require, s you to work unsocial hours, you just have to get on with it .

@themanors also you really do have to think about the effect on your ability to get another job when you've been sacked. They will sack you, or fail probation. So hand in your notice if you can't negotiate a shorter working day. Your last day of working to be Christmas Eve.

I find this odd.
My parents have always worked shifts as nurses/care workers so we often had Christmas where either one was working or asleep in the middle of night shifts. It was a shame but we just had our main Christmas celebration on a day that worked for us.
Just before my daughter was born my partner took a new role involving shifts- one of the things we discussed first is he would have to work Christmas sometimes- sure enough he has been working my daughters first 2 Xmas days- we work round it. Your dad is an adult who can understand that your doing Christmas on Boxing Day surely?
I would object to being asked to work Christmas Day and Boxing Day yes but even so would accept it's a possibility when I took the job. But Christmas Eve is a normal working day.

Her employer doesn't need to prove gross misconduct. She can just be sacked.

OP does not mind doing her turn, she minds a 12 hour shift on Christmas day which is unreasonable. She has the same on Christmas eve. (and you can guarantee that if someone goes sick on Boxing day, she will be called upon!)
It should never have been presented like this - it should have been split between at least 2 of them, and better 3 of them.
I would find another job, because this one is not good, and make it clear in advance that Christmas day is not available.

OP what is your area like for work?

Sorry OP but your dad isn't your company's problem. Other employees also have families.
If you call in sick, someone else may have to miss out on some time with a family member just to cover you. And last minute.

You have ages to prepare, why not celebrating christmas the day before or after? What's the big deal?

Ilovelurchers · Today 13:18
Everyone on here is obsessed with employer's rights, and also playing by "the rules" - it's a very right wing website in the main. Very little compassion or interest in the well-being of employees.

——————————————

Not a single post so far has mentioned employers’ rights or expressed any concern for the corporation.

Everyone has said that it wouldn’t be fair on fellow workers. You know - other working people. The consensus on the thread is ‘you don’t fuck over the equally-oppressed.’

The attitude you are recommending - which amounts to ‘just do what’s best for you and fuck everyone else’ - is just about as neo-con rightwing as you can get

But it's ok for Op to have her Christmas ruined? And her birthday? And leave her 87yr old father on his own?

There's a huge difference between being given nearly 5 months notice and having time to make alternate plans, and getting a call on Christmas morning telling you that you gave to get into work!

sorry but youve put yourself in it now

youve been asking for it off now are just not going to turn up

probably gross misconduct

This.

I'm not saying just phone in sick on the day, but equally like you yes, I would very much in those circumstances prioritise spending time with family. So I would say I won't be doing it (and looking for another job). You never know calling their bluff may work anyway but be prepared to find another role elsewhere.

Good luck!

Sorry - it's one of the pitfalls of working hospitality. I did it for years. We all had to work; no exceptions. Or else, no job come 26 December. If you were sick, you had to provide a sickline. It was 1.5 time, from memory - and I am sure I was only on £4 an hour (in the early 00's!) They did organise taxis, food, etc., for everyone though.
I do think that you will just keep responding, 'Oh, it's all so unfair', to every message, though. So, not sure AIBU (or hotel work) is for you.

Handing in her notice is one thing. Lying about being sick at the last minute is another.

It sounds like you’ve already made up your mind that this is what you’re doing. FWIW I think it’s selfish - the people who will suffer are your colleagues who also have family who are important to them and who will be called in at the last minute to cover for you. You are not more important than them and your family relationships aren’t deeper or more meaningful than theirs.

But since you have already decided to do this, you need to be prepared to face the consequences. You almost certainly will lose your job. You will also be despised by your colleagues for any remaining days before you are fired. And in the event that you aren’t fired, you will definitely be scheduled for next Christmas regardless of whether new staff have since joined.

By far your best solution is to find another job in a workplace which isn’t open over Christmas. You could sign up with a temping agency and have a lot more freedom over the days you work. Alternatively, receptionist jobs in offices, GP surgeries, schools and salons are very unlikely to be open over Christmas.

But it's ok for Op to have her Christmas ruined? And her birthday? And leave her 87yr old father on his own?

Op this is worth handing your notice in for. Do you have enough savings to keep you going for a few months? You could temp until you find something permanent.

In a few yrs time when you look back do you want to remember that Christmas where you worked all through it for a company that doesn't give a shit about you or do you want to remember that lovely Christmas with your father?

Just celebrate Christmas Day with your dad on Boxing Day. You can still go all out, food, presents etc. I’m sure as adult to adult your dad will understand. Phoning in sick on Christmas Day would be pretty low x

From your replies I'm shocked how you even got a public facing job in hospitality OP. You also seem to lack the knowledge that you work for a business, a business that someone else has built up, hence why they aren't working Christmas Day. Of course a hotel would be open over the Christmas period, it's nothing to do with greed, it's business. Do the right thing and look for another job, you don't sound suited to this one.

Brilliant advice. OP has less than two years service. They don’t need to prove she was lying, they can sack her quite easily for being unreliable.

Whether OP’s employer sees this post is irrelevant. She has been very vocal in not wanting to work. Nobody is buying the sickness card on Christmas Day. Literally everybody will know she’s lying.