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

People all over struggling to get jobs, parents at their wits end with their unemployed adult children lounging about the house....and OP over here complaining her 16yo is working hard. Make sure he has a lovely hot plate of food to come home to and a hug from his proud mum.

I fucking hate the puritans who want everything shut for a week.
They come at the world from real privilege. Not all people are happy and healthy at home. Sometimes people need somewhere to go, a reason to get out of the house

Good lord. Get over yourself. He got a job in hospitality. You could say the same about people manning petrol stations etc. I'm sure OP in your life, you've gone to a shop or garage late on a holiday night or on Christmas day because you needed something essential. People could have berated you. On Christmas day, I had to get petrol, then a bit later I went for a walk and a little browse round Tesco Express as I wasn't ready to go home yet. I bought a Galaxy ripple and a magazine that I didn't even need. WHAT A COW I AM. That poor boy that served me in Tesco Express kept away from his family.

So you would rather he be out of a job? If you had your own way, no one would be coming for Christmas dinner, or also maybe on any other day which might annoy you (a family birthday perhaps) so he would be let go. Is that what you're after?

This reminds me of that post this morning where the op was wishing all things bad on people who shop on Boxing Day because her sister once had to work it.

I worked Christmas eve, Christmas day, boxing day, new years eve, new years day and all Bank Holidays over Easter every year for 3 years when I was a student. Service industry is a service.

Your DS will earn money from it, so if he's not bothered neither should you be. Try to be a little more flexible - the world doesn't revolve around you.

And Christmas lunch and dinner are essential for some people who don't have the ability to host large family gatherings or who, like my mum is scared of dogs (all 3 of her children have dogs, probably cos we weren't allowed pets as kids) so can't come to our place for Christmas and she can't host all of us. We pay for our overpriced meal and leave a good tip because we are grateful that people can't celebrate their christmas until they finish their shift.

I am struggling to find any "shades of grey" in your post since you labelled everyone going out for a meal as "lazy". 😝

You just ridiculously compared air traffic control as essential vs hospitality. It isn’t essential that people fly on Christmas Day - where would it end if it were upto people like you? I went out for Christmas dinner and paid £120 and it was diabolical the food so you’ll be happy to know I’ll not be bothering next year.

As a teenager I volunteered to work over Christmas because I didn't want to be at home with my overbearing mother.

So that is the choice he has made. He is 16. You've indicated you think the employer is blase around treatment of employees. So why are you blaming ordinary people trying to have a nice time?

It is strange. It reads like ‘all hospitality should close nationally on Christmas Day (including those with workers that don’t really mind) because you’re ruining MY Christmas’

Fucking hell I've genuinely heard it all now.

These ‘you sound like x’ posts on mumsnet are weird. You literally cannot work out what her son is like based on him working Christmas Day in a pub 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

To add to what I wrote. There was a gentleman and an elderly lady in the table next to us. The staff knew him by first name and included him in conversation's when there were quiet periods between customers queuing up for their lunch. The lady I can only assume was his mum (or aunt) maybe not, had her cup of tea, a small lunch, and kept leaning forward on the table and falling asleep. He had company and a nice atmosphere, the lady was able to nod off occasionally. How lonely would it have been for him I wonder had he not been there.

Is he getting paid to be there though? Presumably that’s his incentive to do it? He’d rather get the money instead of being with you? he’s not a slave working for free.

ultimately, if your son didn’t need he money, he wouldn’t have done it. It begs the question whether you and your partner, have enough money yourself? Bc he obviously feels incentivised to work over Christmas- would he do that if he had the money from you instead?

This totally agree .. he is probably working this hard to escape his moaning parent.

Pathetic to post this.
Maybe your son preffered to work ever thought about that?
Save up his hard earned money and go travelling cut the apron strings.

absolutely agree
my boys have all had part time jobs as teens and have a brilliant work ethic, as well as academic success
contrast my stepson who is 22, dropped out of Oxford because finals made him anxious, and acts like work is beneath him, whilst staying up all night gaming.
you should be very proud of your son

YABVU to be honest. If you don’t want your son to work Christmas Day, that’s your problem, not the people eating out. If your son doesn’t want to work Christmas Day-similar really. I know people who aren’t bothered by working Christmas. It’s always been a busy time.

We ate out, not because we’re lazy, but because our local pub has a lovely offering, great staff, and pubs need supporting at the moment. The atmosphere was friendly, familiar and lots of banter between staff and customers, many known by first name. It was busy and they would’ve made a good earning imagine. It’s a small chain of pubs to a local brewery. If it makes us evil, then so be it really. They did a sit in carvery and take away mains too. In January I bet it’s quieter. Will that be a problem if shifts aren’t to much on offer, all if a sudden will they also be dreadful to you?

Hey op you been at the sherry. You are being so unreasonable it’s fucking entitled at its best.

Please make sure your son makes notes of the extra unscheduled overtime he works (and extra shifts) so he gets paid for it

Nobody is forcing him to work! Plus it’s how pubs and restaurants survive these days! But if this helps I was doing the same between 13 and 17 until I went to Uni. I worked nearly every Xmas in a pub and it was the making of me. Few people I know have my work ethic and stamina.

When my DS was at University he did some P/T hours in KFC
He did 24th / 26th but would happily have gone in 25th ( just to escape from me )

He also (gasp) did the later shift as some of his workmates lived further and he was less than 10 minutes away and if push came to shove I'd have picked him up . (There were fights when the pubs came out )

The unreasonable little scrote !

Maybe people should stop being ill, having accidents or being beaten up then, so they don’t disturb your Christmas lunch??

Yes, weird