Probably - but people too lazy to cook their own christmas dinner are spoiling mine

You say that as though there are plenty of options for a 16 year old to earn money. There isn't. Good for your son.

There are many reasons people may choose to eat out on Christmas Day (dietary requirements, house renovations, last Xmas with ill loved ones so don't want to spend it in the kitchen, exhausted from working a job you consider worthy ie surgeons, midwives, emergency services etc... maybe they're alone and want company - every pub I've ever worked at always had a table full of regulars on Xmas Day who had noone else to share the day with!) so you are unbelievably unreasonable and incredibly entitled to state its because they're lazy!

Nope. He's 16. He can say no.

DD has declined all Xmas shifts as she is revising for Alevels. Quite right too.

No one has to work at 16.

Lots of yp like working at Christmas as it’s extra money.
Under 18 there are different rules re hours and shifts they can do (McDonald’s used to have a manager who looked after the ‘babies’ when DD worked there to ensure they complied) My dd was laughing about her Boxing Day McDonalds shifts and all the idiot members of public she had to deal with shouting because they had missed breakfast service. Some kids like seeing their work friends and busy environment, they used to dress up in fancy dress. I always worked a lot as a student over Xmas hols, alternative was sitting at home with relatives.

Fucking hell OP. My DS (and I) would be delighted if he could find a job like that! Be grateful he’s got some financial independence and work experience behind him!

Also for what it's worth, we're not lazy - just have a bloody newborn! Could be lots of reasons why people go out to eat.

He’ll get paid well being on double time for the whole day and it’s great news the hospitality industry is doing so well to be so busy.

working Christmas Day is often part and parcel of working in hospitality so I’m not sure why this has surprised you. Also, the ‘lazy’ customers are keeping the business doing so well, keeping people in jobs. It’ll likely go quiet in January so the more custom they can get over Christmas, the better.

your son will have a brilliant work ethic for a 16 year old. It’s great experience and will help him go far. Fair play to him

Actually they might for several reasons - use your imagination.

OP don’t shame people for eating out on Christmas Day. Or put it diwn to laziness. It didn’t happen in the end, but after my mum died we were going to eat out somewhere for Christmas as it was too painful to sit at the usual table without her. In the end we just fell apart and don’t do Christmas at all now but if we did in the future, I’d want to eat out as I have a very difficult relative and at least a restaurant would contain them for a couple of hours max You don’t know who’s going through stuff so don’t judge people for visiting an open restaurant!

What the feck has me treating myself to a meal got to do with people working on Xmas day?!? They could choose not to work?! Or maybe they're not bothered about Xmas and would rather have the cash?! YABVVU

Who is forcing him to work?
No is a complete sentence that he can deploy when asked if he wants any shifts.

Instead of berating people, you should be championing his work ethic!!

Good on your son! My son is 17, also works in a restaurant full time. He’s been working mad hours recently and will continue to do so over Christmas. He’s saving for a car, then a house. I fully support him.

That’s life, a lot people do work over Christmas and unsocial hours in general.

If hotels hadn't been open I wouldn't have been able to volunteer for Crisis at Christmas for two consecutive years. I had to travel to do it.

I worked in a pub when I was 18. Loved it - especially Christmas day.

Got a huge amount of tips. It also gave me a break from all the unnecessary stress that used to come with the day in my childhood home.

Restaurant was packed- included several single bookings - you might say they needed a bit of company.

The country's tourism industry strongly disagrees with you.

Crackers in cheese in hotel rooms are not a reasonable expectation for Holiday travellers.

But it also why people who work on these days should be paid double.

I agree with shops being closed on Christmas Day. I refuse to shop at places that are open on Christmas Day unless they are owned and staffed by people who do not celebrate Christmas, but pubs, no. Christmas is what keeps the majority of them open for the rest of the year, and for some, being able to eat out is essential for them to be able to get through the day.

A lady I know goes abroad every Christmas because she cannot face Christmas in England after the death of her young son. Is it OK for her to eat out, or should she not bother with Christmas at all because cooking at home is not an option for her?

My Gran eats out on Christmas since losing my Grandad. He always used to get up early and peel and chop all the veg for her before going to the pub. She tried cooking at home one year after he died and ended up in a puddle of tears on the kitchen floor.

We eat out because my dad has a fear of eating food cooked by other people outside of a professional setting, but he also cannot cook, so eating out is the only way we can eat together on Christmas Day.

I worked plenty of Christmases both in pubs and in healthcare; it did me no harm, but it's someone else's turn now. I served my time.

Your need to direct your anger at his employer. They are the ones offering a service on Christmas day. Don't blame people for using it.

Ah OP maybe you could give your could money so they don’t have to work. We are going to enjoy our lovely restaurant cooked Christmas dinner and not worry about the washing up while we are served and tip generously. Enjoy your day 🩷

That sounds lovely.

He’s earning money. Thats his choice. Good lad.

Your DS is fabulous. But you are being extremely unreasonable. If a business offers Christmas dinner to make lovely big profits and people have the money to pay the extortionate amounts of money, then good for them and their mutually beneficial choices.

But I would also point out that calling people lazy for not cooking their own Christmas dinner is even more unreasonable. Among the lucky people simply taking advantage of a service they can afford, there may be those having Christmas dinner at this venue due to the fact they are UNABLE to cook it themselves. People with disabilities, elderly people or even just those completely mentally overwhelmed by life who feel they are unable to cope with all the expectations that Christmas brings. Christmas isn’t the same lovely, cosy, ‘making memories’ experience for everyone.

Eh?

You are comparing emergency services to a pub Christmas dinner?

What is it that you don't understand about restaurants and how they not only want but need people to eat out rather than cook their own meals at home? They do all the extra work now because January will be dead for them, and then you'd be moaning that DS has no work and people should go out to eat. Attempt to see the bigger picture and that it isn't all set up for your DS's family mealtimes. That's the one thing that you have control over and could adjust if it matters so much to you.

You can call people rude, but honestly the dimness of the OP is mind-boggling.