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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that that employees with small dc huold have preference on having xmas eve off work?

332 replies

pippylongstockings · 30/10/2010 22:01

I work in an office with over 15 employees - 4 of us have young DC ranging from 11 to 2 years old - Surely at christmas it is not being unreasonable to think that the minority of 4 could have Christmas Eve off work?

BUT No, it is done on a random lottery - why ?

Honestly, I feel christmas is for the children and working til 4pm on xmas eve is not a happy place to be if you have kids at home waiting for you.

OP posts:
gaelicsheep · 31/10/2010 00:23

Hold it! Don't address posts agressively to the OP when it's more than likely my posts that have pissed you off!

I for one have stated that I am prepared to work any possible day of the year except Christmas Eve. And that I would take that day unpaid. One day out of 365 I do not think is unreasonable. Anyhow, thankfully I work for an enlightened employer that lets us work things out between us and doesn't run a lottery or any other such thing.

gaelicsheep · 31/10/2010 00:25

boooooooooooooooowhatever - I have no problem taking Christmas Eve off in my current job. I'm just agreeing with the OP and saying I would be peed off if I couldn't!

LisaD1 · 31/10/2010 00:27

YABU - Being a parent does not make any of us more "entitled" to time off.

booooooooooyhoo · 31/10/2010 00:29

booooooooooyhoo it's not that difficult, but i know you are just being PA.

emptyshell · 31/10/2010 00:29

So basically gaelic - you work for an employer that lets you bully and screech your rights above everyone else so you get what you want? That's generally the definition of enlightened.

gaelicsheep · 31/10/2010 00:30

Can't be bothered with this any more. We get our leave cards. We book the leave we want. Our manager signs it. End of.

gaelicsheep · 31/10/2010 00:34

Pippylongstockings - I hope you appreciate the pasting I'm getting on your behalf! Grin

Thanks for the debate ladies. Mumsnet has been dead the past few nights.

Sierra19 · 31/10/2010 01:15

YABVU - I work shifts and for the last few years I have had to work xmas day. It is part of the job and you accept that when you accept the job. I am pregnant with my first and still hold the same belief as I did before. Unfortunately, because we work on a duty rota system (emergency services) this means that the same shift may find themselves landed with xmas for a few years running, as in my case. I am lucky that this year I finish the morning of xmas eve and am not back until the 28th, but I see this as a bonus.

I have in the past, worked on xmas day for other people who have kids, so they can take the day off, because it has not mattered as much to me before. However, I have no obligation to do this. We also do it by random draw, this is the only fair way for us because people move from one shift to another and I am not working with the same group of people as I did last year for instance.

I do get double pay and a day off in lieu which kind of makes up for it though.

It is my, and your, choice to have children and do they job I/you do, so unfortunately you cant decide that you have priority for that reason.

MaimAndKilloki · 31/10/2010 01:26

YABU.
But I think you know that now.

Silver1 · 31/10/2010 01:29

Speaking as a Christian and a grown up I also think it is a bit crass for people to assume Christmas is just a celebration for the children, so forget chronically sick relatives, and family far away, Christmas is for everyone- it did not evolve as some kind of Children's Day-so why should those with children have preference in celebrating and preparing for it?

blinks · 31/10/2010 01:35

i'm working christmas day.

get real.

ShirleyGarrote · 31/10/2010 01:35

YANBU

Can't be bothered to argue the toss.

gaelicsheep · 31/10/2010 01:37

OP, I think the answer to this is to have good working relations with your colleagues. If I had no particular plans at Christmas - if we were going to relatives nearby for example, so I didn't have preparations to do that year, and I knew another childless colleague had to travel 400 miles to see their sick mother - then I would offer to swap shifts with them. Any decent person would do the same. And if one of your colleagues gets Xmas Eve off in the lottery but has no particular plans, it would be nice of them to offer to swap with you. Judging by this thread they probably wouldn't though!

scottishmummy · 31/10/2010 01:40

dont play the parent we are spesh card.all requests considered on merit.not on number dc

4pm finish is ok

blinks · 31/10/2010 01:42

i'd be effing delighted with 4pm finish and xmas day off.

scottishmummy · 31/10/2010 01:48

this i am parent favour me me,causes problems.everyone has valid reasons whether it be parents/family/partner and my widdle children card is not fair to anyone

AngelsOnHigh · 31/10/2010 01:58

You are getting Christmas Eve off. Eve is short for evening.Grin

AngelsOnHigh · 31/10/2010 01:00

Surely in this day and age there is enough non christian people in the mix to swap shifts.

One hospital I worked in, the Jewish doctors always worked the christmas shift and the others reciprocated during Jewish and muslim celebrations

AngelsOnHigh · 31/10/2010 01:02

emptyshell, your're right there. Two women I used to work with always stated that if they didn't get the time off they wanted hey would just call in sick and get a Dr's certificate

gaelicsheep · 31/10/2010 01:26

Well FWIW, I wouldn't dream of doing that. I have already stated that if I couldn't get official leave then I would request it unpaid. If still refused then I would obviously go in, but yes I would be annoyed if this was for the purposes of presenteeism with no real work being done. No way would I feign sickness. No bullying or screeching here.

SlackSally · 31/10/2010 01:39

Wow. Nothing to add that others haven't.

Obviously YABU.

I do say this as a teacher, but also as a former retail worker who ALWAYS worked christmas eve AND boxing day.

Tortington · 31/10/2010 02:10

i can't believe women are working with such young children at home.

surely your time would be better spent hoovering and baking cakes?

ilovesooty · 31/10/2010 02:12

YABU. I don't see why parents should get priority. In our place it's first come, first served, and this year I'm working. I expect we'll be allowed to go a bit early, then I have a long drive to see my elderly mother.

People without children have plans too, as others have said.

ClimberChick · 31/10/2010 02:21

to add to the sentiment YABU

these things are better off worked out informally with a rota between years. Everybody wants time off at xmas

HowsTheSerenity · 31/10/2010 06:44

I hate hate hate this time when the child free are considered to be selfish if they want Christmas off. Just becuase I do not have children does mean that I want to cover every holiday, or when you have to leave work for a child related issue.

However, at my work we had an informal arrangement. The child free had NYE/NYD off and worked Christmas and or Easter.

Everyone was happy.