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

Especially as the 'pandemic' killed so many of the pub industry.

theres plenty of what could be described as non essential people working today - a lot of call centres will be open, like banks, sky, virgin - people who work in petrol stations etc

the whole country doesnt shut down cos its christmas day

You know what? I actually agree with you to an extent. It really is rubbish. I remember being that 18 year old working in a pub whilst at uni, & the sheer pressure to work Christmas day was immense- you either did it or you lost your job.

DS1 also at uni working in a pub, was lucky to work yesterday (7am for stock shift) & have time to get home. He's been trying to wangle out of Boxing Day (as he's working across the bells at Hogmanay & you're not supposed to do both), but has at least managed to start at 6pm, so he can come to the family day for a few hours.

I get that he's paid for working & does work with a great bunch of students, but it's hard. I get it OP.

Very simple, easy answer to this - don't work there or any job where there are shifts on Christmas day. i
It's hardly rocket science to work out that solution.
Why shouldn't people go out to eat? If places offer that service why not use it?
Pp first post answering nailed it

So all of you paying £85 a head for Christmas lunch in a very standard chain pub, thanks for that.

Oh we’ve paid much more than that for a lovely hotel, we’re really looking forward to it! Don’t work in hospitality if you don’t want to work Christmas Day, it’s simple. All of my children worked in hospitality while at Uni, they loved the tips and yes they often worked Christmas Day. Two have qualified now in different careers and are working today, we’ll celebrate at a later date with them.

We’re not lazy btw we just can’t be arsed to cook this year because it’s our first without children at home after years of hosting up to 25 people. We shall very much enjoy our lunch without cooking or washing up. The staff will be tipped well for their trouble today. YABU OP.

Without those paying customers he wouldn't have a job at all. The Christmas period funds pubs for the year!

I can't be bothered to comment.
Merry Christmas to y'all!
😁

I don't know if you've worked in care so apologies if you have and will already know how some people really don't give a shit once they have carers in to see mum or dad.

I was absolutely astonished when I started the job in 2017 of the number of clients who were stuck in one room of a 3-4 bedroom house because they weren't able enough to even be hoisted into a chair, and their own (adult) children hardly visit them.... I think it's disgusting that they leave their parents to the hand of the carers only and rarely made an appearance in their own childhood homes (obvs I know not everyone's childhood home is a happy one). I couldn't do that to my mum or dad. Even if I couldn't care for them, I'd still see them as often as I can.

I wondered that. 700 seems like a typo.

Nobody ever needs to go to the pub for lunch, do you ever go out op?

I’m divorced and neither my ex husband nor I want the awkwardness of cooking for each other and having each other in our homes.

We do get on well enough to spend Christmas lunch together at a pub and this is what our DC want and what works for them and means they don’t get torn between their parents each year.

I hope that gives you some insight into how now all families are the same as yours.

Also the people willing to pay £85 for Christmas lunch.. and the people willing to work in the pubs that serve it, are the ones keeping this economy afloat.

You should be proud of your DS. You probably are.

People eat out at Christmas, this is news to you?

@SheinIsShite hopefully, he may finish on time today, I’m sure he will keep in touch anyway if not, I hope you all end up having a dinner together as a family later

What about those who are disabled and can't cook a whole Christmas Day meal? Are they meant to not have one?

We started going out for Christmas dinner since my mum died young and we couldn’t bare sitting in the house anymore as Christmas just feels so miserable. Trust me we tried! So it’s not always laziness. It’s a change of routine for us and makes the day bare able. We always tip well and are grateful to the staff, but equally it’s part of the job and the pubs do well from it!

Mortified for you. He'd be unemployed if people didn't patronise the establishment. Get a grip.

Your son probably would rather be at work than spend Christmas dinner with his moaning self-absorbed mother?!
merry Christmas!

700 covers?! The average restaurant is 50 covers - even with two sittings 700 is a stretch. Where does he work, a prison?

I was a chef for many years. You'd have to be a special type of stupid to work in hospitality and not realise there's a good chance you'll be working today. Do you say the same on Mother's Day, Valentine's, etc.? I left catering when I got married. It's never been conducive to a decent family life.

End result: money in his pocket, that's what teenagers want.
Back in the 70s when I was a kid growing up in a popular seaside resort, just about every school kid had a job, I started washing up at a hotel age 13.
Sure, there was probably a bit of exploitation going on but we weren't bothered, we worked hard and ended each week with money in iur pockets, which was exactly what we wanted 😉

They might not need to go out for dinner but they should be able to if for whatever reason they don't want to cook.

You are being very unreasonable.

I'm sure your son is going to love his wages from this month, and tips.... Do you begrudge him that?
Of course I am assuming that he'll be paid for his overtime....

This was nasty and uncalled for, grow up!

If it wasnt for the trade they get over xmas/new year they would be at risk of going bust in the quiet months