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Original poster

Would you ask dd to not work in restaurant this weekend?

134 replies

thetinsoldier · 16/12/2021 18:42

Dd 18 has PT job in restaurant. Would I be U to ask dd to cancel her shifts Fri and Sat night? We are planning to see family in England over Xmas, 400 miles away, leaving Monday.

We have booked holiday cottage, Tesco order etc and I don't want to have to cancel if dd catches Covid!!

Help - wwyd?

OP posts:
GrealishHairband · 16/12/2021 19:16

Hired more staff?! With magic beans aye?

minimoomoo1711 · 16/12/2021 19:16

Unless all your family is going to isolate totally till Monday I can’t see the point in her missing the shifts. You can get it anywhere!

xxxGirlCrushxxx · 16/12/2021 19:16

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GrealishHairband · 16/12/2021 19:16

I’m sure no one will mind if my colleagues cancel all their shifts on delivery suite because Christmas.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 16/12/2021 19:17

Do you think everybody’s family Christmas is more important than working or only your own? What about the people whose jobs keep the country running such as the Tesco staff who will be ensuring you get your food delivery, would you be happy if they all decided to cancel their shifts because they’re going to prioritise their Christmas over their commitments? What about nurses and doctors and the police etc? Should everybody just cancel work between now and Christmas in order to ensure they don’t get covid??

MrsLargeEmbodied · 16/12/2021 19:18

i have just asked my dd to be careful, i wouldnt dream of telling her Not to go to a party, let alone work

CouldThisReallyBe · 16/12/2021 19:18

No you can't ask her to do that. Over and above the selfishness of "my Christmas" (most the country is having this conversation) what about the example that would be setting? It demonstrates a really poor work ethic.

Pixel246 · 16/12/2021 19:19

I don't think there is anything wrong with trying. Normally I wouldn't say it's a good move but circumstances are different and with the new very different symptoms of omicron it's even more risky to be working in hospitality.

Lj8893 · 16/12/2021 19:19

Sounds like a brilliant idea OP.
I might not work this weekend now in order to protect my family Xmas.
I’m a midwife, I’m sure the women will survive without me.

Spottyspotladybird · 16/12/2021 19:20

But she’s agreed to work. It’s a job! You can’t just decide not to go in. If she cancels I’d expect her to be fired.

helpfulperson · 16/12/2021 19:20

Yes, it'll be fine. I'm sure all the police, doctors, tesco staff etc will be doing the same.

KevinTheKoala · 16/12/2021 19:21

YABVU it would mean that other members of staff have to cancel their plans because they'll have to cover for your daughter instead. Your daughter took a job in a restaurant, unfortunately that means she's at risk of catching covid (as is anyone who works with the public) she can't just cancel her shifts because you have plans. I haven't seen my nan in over 2 years now because of this virus and the fact that my nan can't have vaccinations and I don't want to put her at risk - she still hasn't met my youngest daughter! I do have sympathy but at the same time your daughter can't simply cancel shifts at her job it impacts on everyone.

Happyhappyday · 16/12/2021 19:21

Definitely unreasonable. She’s an adult, she needs to figure it out herself and it’s super unreasonable for you to ask her to.

My parents booked a 3 week trip abroad when I was 19, I wanted to go obviously but it made it really hard to find a job for the summer and my mom made me feel incredibly guilty when I said I wasn’t sure I could make it work, and yet in my family there was always an expectation of summer jobs. It felt very out of touch with the reality of finding a job in your teens!!

Skyechasemarshalontheway · 16/12/2021 19:22

My dh works in the hospitality industry he has no choice but to work this weekend and during the week.

If you have a job you have to work the hours given its not really a choice unless overtime or hours they wouldn't normally work. You'd lose your job not turning up because you may catch covid.

Of course noone wants to catch covid in the next week but life does not always go the way we want it to.

Tabbacus · 16/12/2021 19:22

@thetinsoldier

But when she agreed to work weeks ago, the situation with omicron wasn't anything like it is now. I think our family xmas is more important than her job... 🤔
Harsh, perhaps her job is important to her.
Original poster
thetinsoldier · 16/12/2021 19:23

Hmm. I wonder how much loyalty DD's boss would have to her - I suspect none at all. She's on a zero hours contract.

You are all making fair points, though, so thank you for that. I hadn't thought enough about all the people who have to work and come into contact with people until Christmas.

Cheers for all the polite, reasoned replies though. I do appreciate them.

OP posts:
MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 16/12/2021 19:23

@ToPlayOrNotToPlay

Its her job, she has to go, but get the disposable surgical masks for her to wear rather than fabric so she has a bit more protection, or the type you can get from B&Q with a filter that would be worn when working with harmful substances.
You do know masks only protect people around you from YOU and not you from catching it??
WasgijGods · 16/12/2021 19:23

@thetinsoldier

I wonder if you'd all be giving this advice if it was your family Xmas stake!!! 🙄

What a disgusting attitude.

And actually I couldn't give 2 hoots about Xmas. I am however petrified about having to miss a close family members funeral next week. I'm exposed to covid regularly at work but never have I once thought about not going in.

Tabbacus · 16/12/2021 19:24

@thetinsoldier

I wonder if you'd all be giving this advice if it was your family Xmas stake!!! 🙄
Seen as though myself and DH have worked outside of the home and DS has been in childcare the whole time then yes, my advice would be the same.
LetHimHaveIt · 16/12/2021 19:25

'But when she agreed to work weeks ago, the situation with omicron wasn't anything like it is now. I think our family xmas is more important than her job... 🤔'

'The manager should have thought about this ages ago and found more waitresses...'

Ah, I see. So you shouldn't have had to have any fucking foresight, but your daughter's boss apparently should've done. Interesting.

Businesses (especially restaurants) can't actually afford to hire a pool of stand-by staff just so someone's hand-wringing mother can safeguard her holiday. And ring-fence her, er, Tesco delivery 🙄

historygeek · 16/12/2021 19:25

I'm a secondary school teacher. Should I miss work tomorrow because I might catch COVID and fuck up Christmas?

NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 16/12/2021 19:26

@GingerbreadandJellytots

Yes you are absolutely right your family Christmas is way more important than your daughters job. Nobody needs restaurants anyway, and there will be loads of people to easily cover her shifts. It won't effect anyone else or disrupts anyone else's plans. And it wouldn't make you entitled and teach your daughter a poor lesson at all. It's not like it's a real job anyway, so it doesn't matter. Nobody takes jobs like this seriously. Merry Christmas 🎄
Bloody hell, who pissed on your chips?

It's not like the restaurant will care about her& telling her there aren't any shifts available in Jan/Feb....in a normal year, let alone next year!

I'd agree if it was just for a party or regular weekend away, but with Omicron & a family Christmas 400 miles away, likely with more vulnerable people...

chillydownwiththefiregang · 16/12/2021 19:27

@historygeek

I'm a secondary school teacher. Should I miss work tomorrow because I might catch COVID and fuck up Christmas?
Agree.

I'm a TA- can I not go in?

What about all the doctors/dentist/postmen/shop workers/police... I could go on and on.

The country could grind to a halt if we all thought the same. You're not setting a very good work ethic for your DD there OP.

xxxGirlCrushxxx · 16/12/2021 19:28

what does her Dad think??

HotelCaliforniaOnRepeat · 16/12/2021 19:28

I'm not usually mean spirited, but the pressure on hospitality makes your attitude vile. I hope your Tesco driver decides to put their family Xmas before their job too.
Hospitality is people's livelihoods. They can't have limitless staff on standby, they have bounce back loans to pay through no fault of their own, increased utility costs and ever more hurdles from the government.
If ever there was a time people need to get behind hospitality this is it.