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

It was satire. It seemed consonant with the tone of the OP. OTT

He chooses to do this, it isn’t by force. If he doesn’t like the conditions, he can leave and find something else. Get a job where the company close over Christmas or at least on Christmas Day, even McDonald’s does.

This is funny

He doesn't have to do that job ?.
Ridiculous 🤣

TBF I was really grateful that our local one was open last night, I finished work late after a long shift - in hospitality - and was really hungry and really appreciated the drive through being open so I didn't have to scrounge the cupboards when I got home.
I was surprised but there was a coastguard truck there and a couple of others eating in the car park in what looked like healthcare uniforms so I assume being used by others who work Christmas as well.
No, I didn't need a McDonald's but I sure appreciated it last night! But I certainly wouldn't have been shouting at anyone if they hadn't have been.

I’m a manager in macdonalds and we closed at 9pm Christmas Eve and opened at 7am today. The amount of people complaining that this was too long to be closed for shocked me. Who needs a McDonald’s on Christmas Day?! We got actually sworn at by one guy 😂

My sister and I used to work in a hotel as waitresses / bar staff when at college. We worked christmas eve and christmas day. My parents came for lunch on the Christmas day so we were all together and nobody was cooking. I remember taking food / drinks to their table and how happy my mum was. She always said it was important we both knew how to work in a bar so we were never out of work. (And that we could both drive so we could always leave a situation).

Maybe we should read the thread and find out none of that applys!

Exactly. Nobody needs to be justifying it or feel guilty about it. If nobody wanted to work in these industries for the trade off in hours/ pay versus their other options to study/ train for other jobs then they wouldn’t be doing so. A 16 year old has clearly decided earning money and having a job and some work experience is worth working on Christmas Day. It has nothing to do with the customers, it was his decision. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Maybe the OP might have mentioned it in her numerous comments if the son was having to work these hours at 16 years old to give to his family to pay their basic living costs? 🤔 In which case she’d have bigger problems than this “spoiling her Christmas” and need to sort out her parenting priorities.

Stop making things up.

They clearly can. But they are also shutting in their droves so I imagine they really do need the money from Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The arguments on here about reasons for people eating out are bizarre, pubs aren’t charitable organisations. You are allowed to eat out when they are open even if you aren’t bereaved, or are having cancer treatment or whatever.

You also don’t have to work in a pub, it’s a choice.

Some people have nowhere to go for Christmas. A local community project hosted a free three course meal for folk who had nowhere else to go on Christmas day

For the last five years I've spent buying presents for kids referred by a charity who have literally nothing on Christmas day. Zero

I understand your disappointment but - this is total first world problems

Your sons employer chose to open on Christmas day. It's on them. Not the folk who wanted a meal out

Second this!

Her DC chooses to work there and will enjoy getting his ‘well-deserved’ decent pay packet!

The son is saving for an expensive trip - that's why he has this job

How do we know the OP has a deprived struggling family? Nothing in her posts suggest that on any level. And even if they were deprived - one day off at Christmas day wouldn't make that much of a difference

Whether he needs to work or not, no-one forced him to work in a pub kitchen. If you work in hospitality then surely you understand that there will be times you have to work when others are on holiday?

And if OP is struggling and needs her son to work then she should be happy as presumably he will be earning extra!

I did these jobs. It’s how I put myself through medical school (so I could work even more christmases) and I was so glad for it at the time.

Having worked nearly every Christmas for decades I see the people you don’t see. Who need somewhere to gather, who don’t celebrate, who are lonely, whose family circumstances have changed abruptly, or who have a disability that makes it hard to join in at Auntie Kath’s. I love that there are places open for those people to go and enjoy themselves with others.

There certainly are some privileged bubbles at Christmas.

I don’t understand this post. Your son is probably pleased with the extra money and he has a great work ethic and is obviously a hard worker. We went out to a pub for lunch today for the second year. We went partially because it is a lot of work for two people but mostly because we don’t have children and none of DH’s family are interested in seeing us as they (understandably) want to spend time with grandkids. We are never invited and they don’t want to come here. My family live far away and we are unable to see them. I find Christmas has been quite sad and lonely in the past and this is a fun way of breaking up the day and relaxing. All of the staff seem genuinely pleased to be there and we tip well

I didnt really notice the “shades of grey”
in your OP either. I found your original post to be quite “black, white and extreme” if I’m honest.

And as for this…So all of you paying £85 a head for Christmas lunch in a very standard chain pub, thanks for that.
Youre welcome 😉
We are not disabled, recently bereaved, or any of the other reasons on here people have suggested people may want to eat out on Christmas Day. We simply couldn’t be arsed with the big food shop, the prep, the
cleanup… and we had a fabulous meal out today. Delicious. Lovely. Brilliant time had by all!

You sound a bit of a fool tbh .
it’s not ruining your Christmas if you all knew what your son was signing up for way before Christmas by the sound of it

what if he had been a nurse or a doctor working today, would you have called Al the sick people names for ruining your Christmas?

What about disabled people, lonely people, elderly people, shift workers etc, who for multiple reasons might not have a Christmas dinner if it weren’t for people like your son and his employers.

Im disabled and have been a hospital shift worker and have lived alone with no family support, all at the same time and back then I remember one particular year on a split shit, too far away to go home and cook then come back for the night shift and wishing dearly that I’d thought to book ahead with a local pub to have a Christmas dinner.

Could you please explain where the shades of grey are in your post about "lazy people" "spoiling your Christmas?"

There's a huge proportion of people who don't want to, or can't, spend Christmas day with their families. You would deprive them of their work and their customers of the pleasure of eating a meal they don't have to prepare or clear up after.

Oh my guilt is unbearable, maybe I should just go and throw myself in the sea. It's only about 50 metres away. I've had not one, not two, but THREE meals today served to me by people who are working Christmas day.

I'm pretty sure that Blackpool is really grateful for the revenues and for the employment.

Well, maybe @SheinIsShite cant provide properly for her own family, so her young son needs to work to pay for his living expenses. Maybe we shouldn’t be so harsh on a deprived struggling family.

None of my kids worked when they were under 18 (and no, it didn’t affect them getting a permanent career). More on you that he’s working age 16. My kids job at that age was to focus on their GCSE / A levels.