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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think you shouldn't have to work in the office on Christmas Eve?

340 replies

oliverwe · 11/11/2024 20:40

I work in an office environment. Some people work from home fully remotely, most people are in the office 3-4 days a week. My manager has decided that we must come in 5 days a week. That is minus him and other managers of course, who usually go to their country houses for long weekends.

My folk live in Cornwall and I'd like to go and see them for Christmas. It's about 6 hours on the train or driving.

Manager has told me he expects me in the office on Christmas Eve. I can't take annual leave as other people are. AIBU to think I shouldn't need to be in the office? I can and used to work from home so it's just grinch behaviour.

OP posts:
Gemmawemma9 · 11/11/2024 21:05

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 11/11/2024 21:04

This exactly. The OP is a good example of why employers are being made to go back into the office. She's swinging the lead. No way can she drive to Cornwall, and do her job as well. Not helping the argument for 'working from home' @oliverwe Wink

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Shes planning to travel the night before and work from her mums.
i wish people would read the thread before responding!!

buffyspikefaith · 11/11/2024 21:05

Annoyingly it's a normal day
We used to finish at 3pm on Christmas Eve and NYE but this year we are all working until 6pm
Great fun Hmm

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 11/11/2024 21:04

Littletreefrog · 11/11/2024 20:43

How were you going to "work from home" and drive to Cornwall at the same time? There is a reason boses are cracking down on WFH especially at times when people are maybe not doing the work part of working from home.

This exactly. The OP is a good example of why employers are being made to go back into the office. She's swinging the lead. No way can she drive to Cornwall, and do her job as well. Not helping the argument for 'working from home' @oliverwe Wink

Gemmawemma9 · 11/11/2024 21:04

It’s really mean. And I say this as a HCP who works right over christmas and new year. If you don’t HAVE to be in work, why make you? Unnecessarily mean spirited I think.

ilovesooty · 11/11/2024 21:03

Pickandmixmood · 11/11/2024 21:01

Every job I’ve had we finished early on Christmas Eve, NYE etc

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In my last job, if you weren't on annual leave you stayed at work in the office until 4pm on Christmas Eve. The managers did the same.

Pickandmixmood · 11/11/2024 21:01

ilovesooty · 11/11/2024 20:50

Why? It's a normal working day.

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Every job I’ve had we finished early on Christmas Eve, NYE etc

RandomMess · 11/11/2024 21:00

Come down with something contagious so you can either WFH or not at all what would they prefer.

Perhaps travel at the weekend and get stuck there?

Wimberry · 11/11/2024 20:59

We're encouraged to use annual leave if we need the time off, but Christmas is a time that our bosses actively discourage WFH, because it's much harder to maintain the necessary confidentiality if you have guests/kids at home/staying elsewhere. How much work would you really get done if staying with family Xmas eve, especially if everyone else is off??

Not suggesting you should have to work it, but if you've got a trip that long, you book leave, surely?

x2boys · 11/11/2024 20:58

Many people have to work the whole of Xmas period including Xmas day .

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 11/11/2024 20:58

He's very unreasonable

HoneyMustard · 11/11/2024 20:58

Wow everyone is being pretty harsh. If you have a job that can be done remotely, you travel outside of work time and he is going to be wfh himself then it's totally unreasonable.
Even pre covid when wfh was just occasional we were allowed to do it on Xmas eve and/or finish at lunch time.

RaininSummer · 11/11/2024 20:56

It is a nightmare if you need to travel for Christmas or cook and prepare for guests. I am lucky enough to have got Christmas eve off from the office this year but it was touch and go and only decided last week. We are open til 5pm. It is very Grinchy.

lasagnelle · 11/11/2024 20:56

Even if you could work from home they might insist its your home

Littletreefrog · 11/11/2024 20:55

Penguinmouse · 11/11/2024 20:53

Does nobody read the thread? The OP has already said she wants to go by train after work on the 23rd, not travel on Xmas Eve 🙄

Your boss is a real Grinch.

After people queried how she was going to drive and work. Until then OP didn't mention which day or how she wanted to travel.

Penguinmouse · 11/11/2024 20:53

Does nobody read the thread? The OP has already said she wants to go by train after work on the 23rd, not travel on Xmas Eve 🙄

Your boss is a real Grinch.

ilovesooty · 11/11/2024 20:50

Pickandmixmood · 11/11/2024 20:43

He is being mean. NYE should be a half day anyway

Why? It's a normal working day.

Potentiallyplausible · 11/11/2024 20:49

Christmas Eve is a normal working day. I always work it, and there’s no finishing early either.

Iloveacurry · 11/11/2024 20:49

I don’t think you’re being entirely unreasonable, because why are the managers not also in the office?

ilovesooty · 11/11/2024 20:49

Whatsitreallylike · 11/11/2024 20:42

He’s an arsehole. Even before COVID I was able to travel for Christmas and work remotely over the Christmas period.

Call in sick instead.

Pretty sure no one would believe she's sick.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 11/11/2024 20:48

It's a working day. full stop.

LlynTegid · 11/11/2024 20:47

Manager lost my sympathy when asking you to do something he doesn't do. And also as a second home owner.

Look for a new job in the new year if not already, and when you leave, make it very clear why.

Singleandproud · 11/11/2024 20:47

He's a Grinch, we are a dispersed team and technically hybrid but almost all of us WFH all the time. Most will travel to family at the weekend before Christmas and will work from their parents homes etc as they often do for a week or two in the summer too. We finish at 12 on Christmas eve anyway so I'll be working in the office in our city for that one and doing some last minute Christmas shopping.

Ifailed · 11/11/2024 20:47

You choose to take a job which might inconvenience you over xmas, which now looks like it will.

Resign, and find another role that fits into your demands.

Littletreefrog · 11/11/2024 20:47

oliverwe · 11/11/2024 20:44

I'd get the train after work on the Monday...

Ok so you were planning on working from your parents house on Christmas Eve? I can imagine your boss thinking whilst people will be logging on to work not that much work would be getting done. I have no idea how conscientious you are but a lot of people would absolutely take the Mick with this set up.

noworklifebalance · 11/11/2024 20:45

SweetSakura · 11/11/2024 20:44

I don't know why it isn't a bank holiday tbh. My favourite employer had it as an extra staff holiday ( we already got far more leave than the minimum too)

Then people will be expecting the 23rd off so they can travel instead?

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