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Original poster

Does your (office job) let you finish early on Xmas Eve and NYE?

115 replies

InMincePieRehabBackSoon · 23/12/2021 07:44

I've always worked in office environments and never finished later than 12pm in the past on Xmas Eve - it's always been a bit of a jolly, and then management tells everyone to go home just before lunch.

I've just found out my current place "might" let us go at 4pm, which is 45 minutes early Shock this seemed really stingy to me so I'm wondering if it's unusual or I've just been lucky at all my previous jobs.

What does your workplace do?

OP posts:
Tirediam · 23/12/2021 07:45

Always 4pm both days

FindingMeno · 23/12/2021 07:47

I can go early if I start early Xmas Hmm

alwayswrighty · 23/12/2021 07:49

Finishing today, but the office closes over Christmas so we have to take annual leave then.

Chasingsquirrels · 23/12/2021 07:50

We close at 1pm (start of put lunch hour) on Christmas Eve and the afternoon is addition leave - this is communicated months in advance.

We don't reopen until the new year, which is mandated annual leave.

Thefuturestory · 23/12/2021 07:52

Yes but I’ve also been the last one working in public services.

sycamorescrumptious · 23/12/2021 07:54

Yes we usually get to finish early but how early varies hugely depending on which director is onsite and what mood they're in Hmm some years it's been 12, others 430 and no prior warning of which Angry

Sunsetsupernova · 23/12/2021 07:55

We usually finish at lunchtime on Christmas Eve which really pisses off the people who have taken annual leave for the day. Then NYE we’re off anyway as they give us the days between Christmas and New Years off for free.

Twilightstarbright · 23/12/2021 07:55

It depended how busy we were- one job it was very busy at year end so Christmas Eve and NYE were normal working days. Others, we’ve been told that we don’t have to come back after lunch if we’ve nothing urgent.

Pre kids I liked working over Christmas because it was very quiet and more relaxed in the office. All my family lived nearby so I just saw them afterwards.

GoodnightGrandma · 23/12/2021 07:55

We tend to be allowed to leave at 2pm if there’s nothing urgent happening.

dun1urkin · 23/12/2021 07:56

Christmas Eve maybe 3pm, sometimes closer to 2. NYE normal working day

Santaslittlemelter · 23/12/2021 07:58

My company gave us all Christmas Eve off completely as a gift.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 23/12/2021 07:59

I'm retired now, but when I worked in a university one of the huge plus points was that in addition to our (generous) annual leave entitlement we were given paid time off covering Christmas Eve and all the days between the Christmas and Boxing Day bank holidays and the New Year one. On the last day before the closure period we could leave at 4pm. Made up to some extent for not having much in the way of salary!

Decades prior to that, I worked in accountancy. I'm not sure if I ever worked on Christmas Eve, but I don't think anybody stayed late. I did frequently have to work between Christmas and New Year, including one memorable NYE when I had to go to an unheated warehouse on an industrial estate to observe the stocktake as it was the client's year end. I arrived in standard 80s working attire for a female auditor, i.e. a skirt suit, tights, smart shoes. Should have gone for the smartest outfit I could cobble together involving trousers, socks and many additional layers! I was frozen to the marrow by the time we'd finished and I could go home, fortunately not too late.

MiloAndEddie · 23/12/2021 07:59

We finish on the 23rd anyway and are usually allowed to go about 1.30-2.00. We then don’t go back until the new year as the offices are closed. We have to take annual leave for it but we’re given the days on top of the normal allowance if that makes sense? It’s pretty decent tbf

TheLadyofChristmasPast · 23/12/2021 07:59

Christmas Eve 1pm, although this year we’re close d completely and we’ve been given it as extra holiday.

New Years Eve 3pm

senorafridgidaire · 23/12/2021 08:01

Message in our place is that if you choose to work those days instead of taking A/L, they are normal 5pm working days, to be fair to those who are using A/L to take the time off. When we were in the office we usually used to get an email on the day to say we could go home at 4 if we had no work to do and our line manager was happy for us to go. I suspect this year most people will be doing fuck all at home anyway!

MistySkiesAfterRain · 23/12/2021 08:02

2pm.

JohnSmithDrive · 23/12/2021 08:02

Always discretionary, usually early, soon after lunch Christmas Eve, not NYE

daisybrown37 · 23/12/2021 08:02

We shut at 1pm on Xmas Eve and are closed next week. We support schools so it is quiet this week anyway.

Previous company, finish around 12.30pm on both. Previous work in Food industry- finish when you are done so maybe 5 minutes early!

MajesticElephant · 23/12/2021 08:03

I let my team go by 1200 at the latest. This stems from a historical policy which meant you only worked 3.5 hours Xmas eve, or if you had to stay got TOIL for any extra. The policy isn’t there anymore (due to a general erosion of all decent employer policies!) but I let them go anyways. Those that book annual leave or have a non working day on that day know the score and they are not petty.

blibblibs · 23/12/2021 08:03

I'll be at work until 5.30pm tomorrow Sad
I don't have very nice employers.

MistySkiesAfterRain · 23/12/2021 08:03

Last place was 4pm. I think it depends as it has to suit everyone across the board and some people could not leave.

HardbackWriter · 23/12/2021 08:03

I work at a university and every year they announce that we'll all get a bonus half day off on Christmas Eve (you get it added back to your annual leave hours if you'd already booked it off) - and this year and last year it's been the whole of the 24th as a 'god, this year's been a bit shit, hasn't it? Thanks!' bonus, which I'm very grateful for - I'd book it off anyway, but it's lovely being able to have it off without using any leave.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 23/12/2021 08:04

They've given us Xmas Eve off this year and I am hoping they send an email out at some point this morning saying we can log off early today too!!!

SGChome20 · 23/12/2021 08:05

I don’t get away early and also don’t have any work to do so everyone twiddles their thumbs. Although this year wfh so a bit better. I work in local government.

WellyBobs123 · 23/12/2021 08:08

I work for the council and we finish at 12pm on Christmas Eve and around 2pm NYE. Both days we put we have worked a full day on our flexi sheet as to not lose any of our own time