Christmas leave priority

I don't think what they are proposing is fair no. I think travel time should be a factor.
And also if you are going to lose your leave because you have not been able to take it that's not fair either - I would raise this with your manager/HR and insist on taking the days you can't carry over.
But also there are reasons parents need leave at certain times like childcare might be as an issue over Christmas as nurseries and schools close but it really depends on family set up.
I don't understand why being a grandparent is on the list.

I would be 100% fine with that. Your emotive and frankly manipulative and selfish view of what is “right” is not shared by everyone. Thankfully. Ops situation does not and never will happen at my workplace.

And what if it was the last Christmas for one of my close family members but I had to travel to see them so needed Christmas off?

Because it's a cleary unfair decision where the assessment criteria cannot apply to everyone!

It's illegal in Irish law (where I live), didn't realise that UK law doesn't consider it illegal but it's still discrimination regardless.

I don't think what your company has set out is fair but nor do I think first come firsr served (as you will get the same people booking it off as soon as they can book it off). It should be a discussion with the team to see who would like what off and come to a fair compromise so everybody gets some time off. This is what we do in our team.

What I will say though since having children is that it's a very magical and special time and it only lasts a few years, so before I had children I would always let those with children have first dibs. You could always request more time off over New Years Eve etc.

Fairest would be every other year off or all work it.

They did all work it where my mum worked due to same ppl having it off/calling in sick if they didn't.

All must work 3 hours so you could then select the times you wanted to be at home. So those with young kids would want to be at home in the early morning so they could see them open their gifts so some would say choose to work 3am - 6am to get home by 7am for the kids opening presents.

Some might choose to work 7am - 10am because they had older kids of adult age who were coming round in the afternoon.

It made it fair.

And that’s partly why our society doesn’t work… as people only think of themselves and not the needs of others.

See my PP….

To save you searching or help you comprehending: of course you should have that time off….

Yes I absolutely could (and would, in this hypothetical situation of yours, if their parent was trying to take every Christmas off at the expense of others never getting it off). Wouldn’t feel bad whatsoever and I have two children myself 🤷🏻‍♀️

Nope. Why do people without children need to consider others but those with children….not? If you have a child do you suddenly lose the ability to understand that other people might also want or need Christmas off?? Why do you think your wants matter more?
And what if you ALL have children but the work needs to be done? What then?

I think it should be rotated every year regardless of children/parents/grandparents. No one is forced to have a job where they have to work Christmas at all, if it's that big a deal.

and people like you are why I dismay

1. people with kids do need to consider others eg the individual needing to travel to see terminally ill relative but not selfish Sandra who just wants the day off so she can feel like she’s priority too
2. no clearly not. See previous
3. well often it’s not about wants but real needs. See previous posters who have stated childcare at Christmas is non-existent. It’s better for employers to know they won’t have staff in (ie by giving them leave) than have them just not turn up because they literally can’t. Note: childcare one specific example. There could be other non-childcare related examples also… eg caring for sick relative etc
4. then if you all have children then the situation needs a bit more thought (surely that answer was obvious… no?). Who has other childcare / who doesn’t / might people be willing to work part of the day / what would people want. Generally there’s always a solution and good way of people discuss and work it out.

It’s wrong that they wait. Employers are expected to approve within reasonable timescales. I’d pull them up on it.

What I really don’t understand is why grandparents are in any kind of priority group.

Can at least see there’s some logic to prioritising parents, whether you agree or disagree with it, but grandparents? That just smacks of whoever does the scheduling having just become a first-time grandparent.

I thought this too. Really surprised they emailed this out.

Also agree with PP who said the fairest system is even-rota.

To be fair - many of those things do facilitate the thing that you wanted and yearned to do (have a lovely baby).

Nobody really thinks "I will have a baby to fulfil my duty of providing a worker for the state."

a. did you join this site hoping it would be an echo chamber??!!!!
b. As a childfree by choice woman joining this site has been a real eye opener for me. In the past i wouldnt have minded covering for a parents leave occasionally but having seen parents post what they really think of the childfree, (like we shoudnt be in SH etc) i would think twice now.

Really, you were never a child? Your parents never put you first? Poor you

You could be priority 3, but if your children are childless and happened to work somewhere with the same policy they themselves would be working 😆