Christmas leave priority

The OP's comments have been very dramatic in their own right. Don't try and pin her posts too on parents. What are parents not responsible for in your world?

It's not dramatic to suggest it's crap for kids to miss out on Christmas morning with their parents. I have suggested it's traumatising or life wrecking but it's clearly far from ideal. I believe children should be prioritised at Christmas.

Of course having kids is selfish. I had children because I wanted to. I had the urge and I really wanted to be a Mum. I didn’t do it for anyone else.

I’m laughing at the idea that all these selfless people are having children for the future of this country, to be the future noble taxpayers who are going to look after the elderly and keep the economy going. Nobody has children for that reason😂

Has anyone suggested that this was people's motive for having children? I don't think they have. That doesn't mean that society shouldn't support them in having and raising children though because it's an outcome that society also needs.

Using a different analogy. I have a disabled relative that I help care for. I don't care for him for the good of society. I care for him because he is part of my family and I want to make sure he is ok. It makes obvious sense though for society to support me in doing this as it's also in the best interests of society that family members care for their vulnerable members.

This thread reminds of a blog started by a woman who did not have kids, but had several guinea pigs. They had human names, and she told her boss and colleagues that she had children, and used them to get out of work early (if they were ill), preference for leave at xmas etc.

Well, we will agree to disagree. Many people here have commented on their own experiences and did not find it crap not to spend Christmas morning with their parents.
Don’t project your own intense views of parenting on others.

And many people keeping the hospitals and electricity etc going are doing a bloody good job whilst you sit at home. Don’t you dare excuse them of not prioritising their children.

Couldn't agree more.

Something that's also puzzling me about certain posts on this thread is that, setting aside single parents, and families needing/wanting to travel over the Christmas period (where I do realise it's more tricky), why are some posters talking as though a child's Christmas is going to be utterly wrecked if their mother is absent for part of the time, if she's there the rest of the time (and if the rest of the family are there)? Surely the family then bases the celebrations around the times when she is there.

It isn't automatically illegal to prioritise parents for festive leave.

I've not accused them of not prioritising their children. Are you just making up straw arguments now to get mad at?

Yep, no resident parent is going to be away for 24 hours on xmas day.
So what if some kids have to wait until mid-day or evening to see if Santa has been?

No, I think parents of children too young to look after themselves should have priority when it comes to booking leave in school holidays.

But it isn’t legal is it? As you well know. You can bitch and moan all you want, but you cannot have your way. Unlucky!

It's not dramatic to suggest it's crap for kids to miss out on Christmas morning with their parents. I have suggested it's traumatising or life wrecking but it's clearly far from ideal. I believe children should be prioritised at Christmas.

Your words.

Fortunately the law evolves and can be changed to better reflect the wants and needs of society.

I doubt a Childress and utterly bitter Sandra who can’t organise herself to visit herself on Christmas Day despite having ample travel time’s needs will ever get recognised as have any priority need of leave…

Yes my words. I believe children should be prioritised wherever possible in annual leave allocation policy at Christmas (you know, what this thread is about). This isn't the same as suggesting key workers that need to work at Christmas aren't prioritising their children.

This thread reminds of a blog started by a woman who did not have kids, but had several guinea pigs. They had human names, and she told her boss and colleagues that she had children, and used them to get out of work early (if they were ill), preference for leave at xmas etc.

First come, first served is a horrible system for Christmas and isn't fair.

I echo PP - a rota system is the fairest, so if you worked one year, then you get first dibs on annual leave the following year.

I do think Christmas is particularly important if you have young children - but that really only relates to the jobs where you have to work Christmas Day. The vast majority of people don't enjoy working on Christmas Day but I think it's particularly hard when you have young kids.

If you're in a job where you get Christmas Day and Boxing Day off anyway, I don't think the rest of the holidays are more of a priority if you have DC.

When I worked in an office (I'm self-employed now) I always volunteered to cover the phones so the parents could go home early on Christmas Eve. We were technically supposed to be open until 5pm but we were allowed to go early as long as one person stayed to cover. I get why Christmas Day and Christmas Eve is so special when you have young children and I think it's a bit sour to suggest otherwise.

But as most people get Christmas Day/Boxing Day off anyway, I don't see why parents - and certainly not grandparents - should be prioritised for the rest of that period.

Also, I was flexible the rest of the year - I always covered the later shifts so that parents could leave early to pick up their DC from school. I think it's really hard to have children and work, and we need children for the future!! It just feels as if we've lost all sense of community sometimes.

Genius! 😂
My other half often brings up an imaginary child at work that he absolutely MUST get home for when his (non primary parent) colleagues start to take the piss
Can't currently recall our kid's name, but they reel it in whenever he mentions it

But it isn't illegal either so what's your point? Depending on how you devise the rules then you're potentially leaving yourself open to discrimination claims but it's not a certainty that all rules of this nature would fall foul of discrimination laws.

So you can bitch and moan all you want but it's not as black and white as you like to portray.

It’s my business, I own it, so actually it is. I don’t and will never do this with my employees. And, interestingly, in more than 20 years, it has NEVER been an issue. We all cover, parents don’t claim priority, everyone respects everyone else. Try it?

😂
Has any parent actually had to prove they have kids when starting a new job?

Yep, no resident parent is going to be away for 24 hours on xmas day.
So what if some kids have to wait until mid-day or evening to see if Santa has been?

Pregnancy and maternity is a protected characteristic.

Not having children is not.