Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
PeloMom · 11/11/2024 22:40

Isn’t it an early finish/ half day? Used to be when I worked in office

SockFluffInTheBath · 11/11/2024 22:38

Does seem a bit miserly if there’s no reason for a physical presence. Maybe time to look for a new manager or job? Have a lovely Christmas anyway.

FairviewRosiev2 · 11/11/2024 22:38

We close 12:30 Christmas Eve. I’m responsible for the phone line out of office and my boss secures the site.

Franjipanl8r · 11/11/2024 22:38

Completely depends on the industry and expectations and whether it’s a busy time of year for the company.

ColaCar · 11/11/2024 22:38

Auburngal · 11/11/2024 22:14

They can finish work at 2pm, get home, get changed and be with their families from 3pm onwards - which is a decent time to welcome guests for a late dinner.

If finishing work at 7pm, get home, get changed and drive 80 miles. I am sure that my relatives would appreciate a visit about 9:20pm. Most are in their 80s or 90s and its their bedtime

Show quote history

It’s not their fault you decided to live so far away from your family. Thats your problem. Move if you don’t like it.

MoodEnhancer · 11/11/2024 22:37

I’m surprised at how little sympathy there is for your situation OP. We told our staff that anyone who hasn’t taken it off can work from home on 23rd and 24th so they can travel to family over the weekend. The fact that your managers expect something of you that they don’t themselves do, is extra shitty.

Cynic17 · 11/11/2024 22:37

Christmas Eve is not a Bank Holiday. Just move everything back a day, OP, and have "Xmas Day" with your folks on 26th instead. It's just one day, it really doesn't matter!

TeaMistress · 11/11/2024 22:37

Alternatively if you leave right on the dot of 4pm on Christmas Eve and you can't get a flight to Newquay internally could you do the drive down...you might arrive late on Christmas Eve around 9/10pm but you would be with your parents for Christmas, I think your manager is a mean arsehole for arbitrarily deciding that you have to be in the office pointlessly when he and other managers will be wfh in their country houses. Is there no chance he might let you go early on Christmas Eve or is there another senior manager you could appeal to...surely someone has to have a shred of goodwill to their staff.

ColaCar · 11/11/2024 22:36

People are so miserable.
‘Oh I have to work Xmas eve so I can’t see why you should have it off’

Miserable gits. Your manager is a twat.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 11/11/2024 22:34

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 11/11/2024 22:31

Maybe because people take the p... and say they are working when they aren't as they are driving instead

Show quote history

But not OP, who has clearly said she will be travelling after work

buybuysellsell · 11/11/2024 22:33

Nod and smile then work remotely. It doesn't sound like he'll be there to check.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 11/11/2024 22:33

Littletreefrog · 11/11/2024 21:29

The reality of being a working adult I'm afraid. I mean we could all decide to bog off home early, leave the deadlines unmet, come back to a load of complaints and fines, unhappy clients leaving and ultimately lose revenue for the company but that wouldn't be a great long term plan really.

Show quote history

No but if it is possible to do the job remotely for 1 day allowing it can maassively increase the wellbeing and happiness of the staff which sounds like a great long term plan.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 11/11/2024 22:32

Why do people keep banging on about how the OP can’t work and travel at the same time? She hasn’t said she’ll be doing this

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 11/11/2024 22:31

SometimesCalmPerson · 11/11/2024 20:42

You can’t work from home and drive to Cornwall simultaneously.

Why do you think your employer might be discouraging WFH, other than just grinch behaviour?

Maybe because people take the p... and say they are working when they aren't as they are driving instead

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 11/11/2024 22:30

glisteningraindrop · 11/11/2024 21:57

Before having DC, travelling to see family was important to me so I used to book Christmas Eve off as annual leave as soon as I could. My work were really good about letting me do this.

I don’t think you should be travelling while ‘working from home’.

She would be working during work from home and travelling the night before after working hours

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 11/11/2024 22:29

Londonrach1 · 11/11/2024 21:54

Christmas Eve is a normal working day. Yabu. Book the time off if you want it off.

She tried

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 11/11/2024 22:28

ThatsNotMyTeen · 11/11/2024 22:28

Blimey right bunch of miserable gits on this thread.

If OP was my member of staff and could wfh I’d be suggesting she travelled on the weekend and log onto work from her parents the 23 and 24th

Me too.

ObliviousCoalmine · 11/11/2024 22:28

Some of you would make really shit managers.

ThatsNotMyTeen · 11/11/2024 22:28

Blimey right bunch of miserable gits on this thread.

If OP was my member of staff and could wfh I’d be suggesting she travelled on the weekend and log onto work from her parents the 23 and 24th

Strangerthanfictions · 11/11/2024 22:26

SometimesCalmPerson · 11/11/2024 20:42

You can’t work from home and drive to Cornwall simultaneously.

Why do you think your employer might be discouraging WFH, other than just grinch behaviour?

But she can possibly travel at the weekend and then work from Cornwall for two days, or even on the Monday after work, both way better options than doing the chris Rea routine on Christmas eve

Mlanket · 11/11/2024 22:26

Clearly the Christmas spirit is well & truly alive on this thread 🤔😆

Pablova · 11/11/2024 22:25

ClarasSisters · 11/11/2024 22:16

So work from someone else's home? What's the policy on that with your employer? And would you actually put in your normal hours when surrounded by family having fun? Really?

Show quote history

Can’t speak for the OP but that’s what I will be doing on the 24th.
When we were office based we closed at 12.30, the office won’t even be open on the 24th, everyone will WFH but until 5pm - a fair compromise in my book.

I will however be telling my team to start
logging off early afternoon, once everyone has their main tasks done and stuff can be left until the 26th. I trust my team to get their jobs done.

Auburngal · 11/11/2024 22:24

ClarasSisters · 11/11/2024 22:16

So work from someone else's home? What's the policy on that with your employer? And would you actually put in your normal hours when surrounded by family having fun? Really?

Show quote history

My friend wfh. She worked at her sister's home 10 miles away as the kitchen was being ripped out and fitted. As friend couldn't work with banging, drilling etc. Her husband was able to stay at home as he had surgery and unable to do his work.

I don't think my friend told her employers about it directly

Ghosttofu99 · 11/11/2024 22:23

Vettrianofan · 11/11/2024 20:41

I used to work Christmas Day and NYE/NYD and didn't bat an eyelid over it. Christmas Eve is just another day for many?

Quick let’s race to the bottom then 🫠

ThatsNotMyTeen · 11/11/2024 22:22

StormingNorman · 11/11/2024 21:10

They must have seen productivity drop on previous Christmas Eves. Do t blame the bosses…blame the colleagues who spoilt it for the rest of you.

Jesus wept

Swipe left for the next trending thread