To go off sick in December?

Yes kids do come first. Imagine taking your own child to A&E or the local doctor surgery or a nearby chemist over Christmas because they need to be seen but you can’t get help because all the staff are ‘off sick’ when in reality they’re playing charades at home with their kids. People would soon have something to say then. The OP hasn’t said what her job is but there are usually consequences when people are off sick.

You can’t justify it by saying ‘kids come first’. Its a good job surgeons and police and care home workers don’t just say kids come first otherwise no Mothers or Fathers would ever make it in to work.

You know what I would and I have . I have a chronic condition and 2 years ago got put on god awful shifts which meant I was working the full Christmas week and New Year’s Eve/day. Wouldn’t be able to see my family as I’d have been tired /working . Luckily my doctor signed me off for 4 weeks and I got the rest I actually needed. Don’t listen to the people saying no they are jealous. Kids and health conditions come first.

"for once, I want to be able to spend a proper stretch of time over Xmas being off with them and doing all the Xmas stuff that other families get to do"

I think this is the part that is unrealistic to me. Many, MANY families with two parents do not get to do this because of the jobs they have. I purposefully moved to a different job recently so that I wouldn't have to work Christmas day any more because I didn't want to do that with small children. Up until now I've split it with my team (all of whom also have small children). If your job and your hours and holidays aren't working for you then change job - don't leave your team short staffed (or worse leave someone else feeling obligated to cover for you at the expense of their own Xmas) or undermine provision for those with chronic illnesses who are using sick leave because they are genuinely sick.

What you SHOULD do is raise it with hr / management that there is a clear pattern in this individuals sick leave always being over Xmas and maybe their system of drawing names out of a hat could be changed - perhaps work it on a rota basis. Personally I think names out of a hat is fine and I'd go with it.

I'd do it. It's absolutely rubbish working over Christmas and if you don't have any childcare what are you supposed to do with your children anyway?
I would though start looking for a new job, one with more family friendly hours. You might get a new job before Christmas and if you don't at least you'll be sorted in future years.

@Sarahbd3 You really have my sympathy, and I can't understand why your boss doesn't keep a log book of who had what days off over Christmas and the New Year last year and every year? What happens if the same names keep on being picked each year?

OP, please don't pay any regard to posters who are saying to just do it, life is too short, and your children are the most important thing, so just go for it. Why am I saying that? Well it is exactly because, of course, your children are the most important "things" in your life - apologies for calling them things - which is the most crucial reason to keep your job, and not get any black marks noted against you on your file. The posters on here encouraging you to 'go for it' may sadly have their own unpleasant reasons for wanting you to fail, or hopefully, and more likely, they just hadn't thought their advice through properly.

Then of course, living a life you can be proud of - and in doing so setting a brilliant example to your dear children (by being honest and hard working, even though that can be very hard, especially for single mums of young children) is, along with your unconditional love for them, to me the most important aspect of parenting. Good luck!

I would!

We all do in NHS.

OP is a brat if she uses a cronic condition to have 4 weeks free holiday over Christmas.

That's how NHS broke down. People thinking this is ok!

Arent you worried someone will spot you doing these nice christmassy things you want to do with your kids? Or are you going to be hiding out at home for 4 weeks?

Their grandparents are going to be away on a cruise

Which they have a perfect right to do.

I'm a solo mum OP. Just the way it is.

Better to be there for your kids than ranting and raving about what is not working.

Just leave the job if you don’t want to work.

You could reread the op again and then you would understand, since she explained it there.

I think if you read the op you would find this clearly explained?

That's the very kind of one yes. A simple completely non event is turned into a catastrophe. So much of a catastrophe it warrants a thread but then they never come back after the very dramatic OP

I am surprised to find that christmas leave is decided by hat draw. When I worked there, leave was arranged around who had the previous christmas off plus who would be happy to work christmas in exchange for being given preference at another time e.g. we had one lady who had a time share and was happy to do christmas if she could be sure of having her time share week.

That’s far too long to have off as pretend sick! And it’s fraud. Can you not appeal to your colleagues’ better nature and see if someone will cover for you?

You mean like those overacting in a dramatic way about something that has happened that seem to appear like buses?

@Sarahbd3 Another question, sorry, what are your contracted hours/days etc?

Seems to be quite a few of these posts recently. Bit of a controversial stir it up first post from a new user who never returns. If you were a cynic you'd wonder if they were made up as a wind up 🤔

So what happens when you or one of your kids get actually sick? Do you have endless paid sick leave to take?

Let’s guess you work for the nhs and want to be off all over Christmas because you didn’t ever imagine you’d have to work Christmas because of ‘the kids’

yes I have a colleague like you….

To all PPs saying yes just do it, kids come first… what if everyone just decided to take a month off over Christmas? This is a ridiculous stance. If the holiday allowance at your job doesn’t work for you, get a different job that does suit you - don’t screw over your coworkers and employers.

@Sarahbd3 What kind of job do you do and what shifts are you actually working over the Xmas period? Say from 20th Dec - 3rd Jan.

I get the struggle btw - I’m also a shift worker and parent of young kids with no local family and a husband who works offshore so is away for weeks at a time and is away at least every second year for the whole Xmas/new year period.

Are you the same nhs worker who posted about this previously? If you have no childcare request unpaid parental leave then you are not leaving yourself open to questions about fake sickness or stressing about being found out

Have you tried to access GP care in the UK right now? Quick telephone and a sick note is easy, investigations not so much

Op clearly states that she's only allowed to take one day off as leave. Best to read the OP before you try and make them look stupid