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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want my DP to work for 1 hour on Christmas Day??

41 replies

SalaDo · 05/11/2010 13:22

Think this is a more of a request for advice.

My DP works for a call center which is open over christmas and as such he has to work 8 hours over the christmas period, hours dished out on a first come first served basis.

He has been off sick due to a car accident and now he's returned he's told all other hours have gone and he has to work 7hours on new years day (no prob with this even though its DD's fifth birthday) and 1 hour from 10.45pm to 11.45pm on christmas night.

Not sure if I'm being unreasonable because I'm currently 29weeks pregnant and feeling very hormonal but this seems just STUPID!! We always have a big family day, we'll be at my parents house which is about an hours drive away from where he works.

Have tried speaking to his manager and I do understand that someone has to do it. . . Just seems unfair [sulky face]

AIBU to ask him to keep pushing it at work and asking for a change?

OP posts:

upahill · 05/11/2010 13:58

TBH I would be pissed off but then make the most. I agree with some of the others and think he may as well do a few more hours while he is there to make it worth while and get time off elsewhere.

diddl · 05/11/2010 13:58

How far is work from yours?

Would it be better to have Christmas at yours?

MaMoTTaT · 05/11/2010 13:58

I think YABU like the others.

BUT I do think it's a little unfair that he lost his already booked holiday because of a car accident, and that he has to work the hours he's got because he was off after it.

tbh I think I'd be a bit annoyed if I'd been in a car accident, forced to take time off work, lost my booked leave because of it, and got back to find that no-one had bothered to tell me about the "first come first served" hours planning over the holidays meaning I was literally left with the only hours left.

TeaOneSugar · 05/11/2010 14:02

My DH works 12 hour shifts, we've been lucky with his shifts this year, but he could easily be working all day on christmas day and boxing day, he's off new years eve for the first time for years this year, but in on new years day.

I appreciate going in for an hour seems a bit pointless, but it could be at a worse time of day.

Original poster

SalaDo · 05/11/2010 14:03

MaMoTTaT Thats my thinking :(

Christmas at mine just wouldnt be the same. Parents live in a large farm house which is super magical at christmas. WHole family fit there and all the DC's in the family LOVE IT! My house does not compare lol!

He's trying to get more hours, at leat to make it worth while but being told that set hours are set. Manager = Jobsworth.

OP posts:

MaMoTTaT · 05/11/2010 14:07

oh and FWIW in case anyone jumps on me for the "something you have to do"

I worked Christmas night when I was a care worker (9.30pm-7am Boxing Day morning).

We (the night staff) all had to so at least one of Christmas Eve. Christmas night, Boxing Day and NYE - but we did at least get to discuss it between us and managed to come up with shifts that were "ok" for all of us (obviously no-one wanted to work Christmas Eve/NYE etc)

The other shifts in Christmas period were on a first come first served basis - but the difference with the OP's DP is that it was we all knew about it and were at work when we were told/the list went up.

HeadFairy · 05/11/2010 14:07

Just try and focus on the good things, you get to have him with you all day, so many times I've missed Christmas lunch or opening presents with the dcs. Also try and make damned sure you have a good time during the day, you mustn't let it ruin your day for the sake of one hour.

traceybath · 05/11/2010 14:10

Just wondered does anyone have 1 hour on NYE who could swap?

Original poster

SalaDo · 05/11/2010 14:17

Gonna try and swap for someone working NYE. Its a mainly young enviroment he works in (not that we're ancient but staying in NYE lol) so hoping that will work :)

Thanks :) Will smile and support as I should :)

OP posts:

SuchProspects · 05/11/2010 14:57

YANBU to think it sucks. A required one hour shift is unreasonable any day, on a Bank Holiday it's really out of order. He might try checking his contract just to see if there's anything in there that protects him, though call centre jobs are not renowned as great work environments. I don't suppose he's in a union?

In the end though, his options are probably limited to seeing f someone will swap for more hours on another disliked day, and making the best of it.

My own experience working on Christmas Day is that people are generally in a good mood. It's one of the nicest times to actually work, if only it wasn't interfering with even nicer times at home.

fedupofnamechanging · 05/11/2010 15:05

I'd chuck a sickie. Given your DHs particular circumstances I think this is really unfair.

What sort of call centre is it, that needs to be open on Christmas day?

I know lots of people have to work over Christmas and if you are working for the NHS/police/SS etc then it really can't be helped, but if the job is not 'essential' then I think making someone who has just recovered from a car accident and lost pre booked holiday because of that, work, is really mean.

FindingGuysMojo · 05/11/2010 15:06

it is clearly STUPID!!! I'd use the fact he was left out of the negotiations due to being off sick (they could have called him surely!!!!!) and the fact he's happy to do 7 hours on NY, to negotiate his way out of the 2 hour on Xmas day. Just saying "you weren't here so this is your lot" is a bit unfair.

CocoPopsAddict · 05/11/2010 15:13

YANBU. People should not be expected to do one-hour shifts - it's just not worth it, and sounds like bad organisation.

phipps · 05/11/2010 17:10

If you can't change the situation you should look for something positive and focus on a special treat for when you are all back together and enjoy the time you have before hand. It will only be "hanging over you" if you let it.

invisibleink · 05/11/2010 19:31

Dont you have to get paid for a minimum number (3?) of hours anyway? So he is working 1 but gets paid for three?

Or am I remembering wrongly?

zipzap · 05/11/2010 21:24

Does he normally have to work a one hour shift? And is anyone else doing a one hour shift at all over the holiday season - is it that somebody has screwed up and managed to do the rota badly so there was an hour hole in that they thought they would stuff your husband with? If nobody else is doing an hour (or even a two or three hour shift) and it wouldn't normally happen then I think it is unreasonable of them to have stuffed him with this coming back from a car accident.

Seems to be that the issue is not so much about it being xmas day or new year's day but that it is crazy to go in for just an hour, particularly at that time of night which means that for the sake of an hour you are not really able to drink during the day and need to be awake enough at the end of a big day to be able to drive safely there and back - when it will be really late.

Any chance he could do an 8 hour shift on new year's day instead? Anybody on the shift before or after that would do an extra hour - or that lives nearby and could pop in for an hour?

what would have happened if he had had his accident after they had sorted out the xmas shifts - would they have turned around and said that he could no longer have had the xmas day off?

when did they tell him when he got back to work - did they actively tell him that they had revoked his leave (and if so has he got it back to take a different day?)

Is there a more senior manager or hr dept - think it is worth at least talking to somebody once more - if only to see if you can get on record that your dh is upset by the way he has been treated after having an accident, and that it will cost him more to come into work than he will earn on the day for doing the work.

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