To think that you shouldn't be pissed off to work Xmas day just because you have children?

[kitya]

When your kids are 15 and over and you are in a job where unsociable hours are enough. I'm fuming that someone complained today that she was the only one with kids that was working Xmas. As if us singles don't have families we would love to be with. I'm so annoyed, she's a friend as well.

I've really annoyed you kitya. If my employer is happy then seriously why do you care so much? My out of hours contract is 6 hours a week. I have a day job too. Between Xmas eve and new year's eve I've signed up for 19 hours in the out of hours. I'm only insured to work so many hours a week so yes if a call went out on Xmas day asking for extra staff I'd consider very carefully if I should go. In my experience (and the manager agrees) it's day 3 and 4 of the four day weekends when the service really struggles not Christmas day. If I did extra on Christmas day then I simply wouldn't be able to do extra on 26th/27th. Nobody swears an oath any more but we live by the rule of "first do no harm." Overtired doctors who have done more hours than they should are not as safe as those who are rested. Regardless of whether I knew what I signed up for the NHS doesn't own me and doesn't want me if I'm unsafe. This year I'm working 6 days in the week in question. I could do a couple of extra hours on 26th or 27th but no more. Every year I've done more than my contracted hours in holiday season. Other people just do what they are contracted for. But I'm unreasonable because I insist on one day off? Last year it was clear that with swine flu that locally things were creaking so I got my insurance set to allow me to go in and help out during my maternity leave. I did 2 five hour shifts - couldn't leave my breastfed baby any longer as was already bursting! I'm not lacking in work ethic or a sense of responsibility because I choose not to work on December 25th. Tbh it looks as you are putting more emphasis on that one day than is reasonable.

Math you think my manager should be shot for expecting his team to be in on Christmas Day? I'll just let the guests who are booked to stay at my Hotel know then, shall I, that there will be no staff to attend to their magical christmas away as they are not able to come in? Stating that only emergency services should work is poor. There are lots of people who work on Christmas Day to ensure OTHERS have a wonderful day. Scrooge.

FWIW, if you opt to work in an industry that traditionally opens on Christmas Day, you MUST consider the fact that sooner or later you will be expected to work a Christmas Day. Kids or no kids.

I agree, its what you sign up for. You know what? it gives you a kind of satisfactiion to be there. Im sorry if people are upset, I just havent encountered anyone that would say, I know come hell or high water I should come to work but, could I have Christmas day off anyway? Does that last for 16 years then?

well patty it happened to me and my parents for years
they are mature enough to realise Christmas is all about kids mainly really, we can celebrate it on another day if we choose in fact they have other children and they all chose to go ahead without me

that being that I still used to offer to work Christmas

peace on earth goodwill to men and all that

oh and where I work working Christmas generally sucks however I've now had the opportunity to spend 3 Christmases in hospital with varying degrees of seriously ill children and I can cheerfully say that sucks more

so you see there is always something to smile about

I once worked in the hospitality industry where staff were expected to be on hand for Christmas and all other holidays. My scheduling manager used to schedule staff regardless of projected hotel occupancy levels for both weekends and holidays, Christmas and all others included.

I remember sitting around all day with absolutely nothing to do, wondering what the hotel owners (the Hilton family) were doing that day, hoping in a spirit of Christian charity that they were having fun. Not. I wasn't paid enough to care about anyone else's 'magical Christmas'. I don't think there is a figure that would be adequate to compensate for working that day, frankly. Because I was a salaried employee I got no holiday pay, no overtime. When I see a picture of Paris Hilton even now I sort of boak. Anyone who books a day or holiday in a hotel for Christmas has a massive and overblown sense of their own importance.

Hospitals I can absolutely see the necessity for, and I said that in my first post here. But hotels?

I do think it's fair enough for Molly not to work on CD. She agreed those terms before taking the job. Where I think it is wrong, is for people to take a job knowing that working Christmas is part and parcel of the job and then moan and try to weasel out of it.

Molly, I think that you are putting more emphasis on the one day, to be honest as you are the one who has made sure you never have to work it.

" If there was an emergency that required all hands to the pump I would consider helping out" consider? what a strange thing to say. I can vouch for many people when I say that if there was an emergency we would drop the turkey and be there within minutes.

Bloody hell op you are determined to make this into a really Big Issue arent you?

It isnt. Some people are a Bit Selfish lots are not. Some of them have kids and some do not.

I know many many parents who would rather do anything than celebrate Christmas. They volunteer at Crisis, they hide under duvet or they go abroad.

Some would rather leave their jobs than miss a Christmas with their children.

Some single people would love the excuse of working to avoid family get togethers.
Some single people would gladly swop for a chance to get mullered on New Years Eve.

Do you see?

Everyone is different, the emergency services are not going to implode because of a bunch of self absorbed parents, some people are going to be working at Christmas, some are not.

Its all fine.

HTH

And its not only emergency services that need cover. Old people's homes and children's homes still need to be open. Although many go to family for this day at least, some have nowhere to go or nobody that will take them.

It affected me personally, thats why I posted on here. It affects my team and it happens every year. I can start a post about anything I want to as its interesting to see how other people handle it in their work places. I might learn something for next year.

The emergency services wont implode, I know that. You try getting someone in to work Christmas day its almost impossible unless you want to pay hundreds for someone who doesnt even know what they are doing from some rip off agency.

People do get selfish around the period. I bet I go into work tomorrow and, someone will be trying to replace her.

I know its not just the emergency services, Im just mentioning whats closest to me.

I bet 8 times out of 10 it is the caring profession thats affected. The rest will be the hospitality trade and, garages!!

Math - what's good to see is at our work the CEO and senior staff are there with the lower orders on CD. People appreciate that.

and working christmas does not spoil it for the kids! I had lovely christmases with a parent who had to work thanks v much! for the benefit of the working parents over christmas I will describe my childhood christmases:

e.g. of being a kid with a parent working, say, early CE and early BD:

CE go into town with other parent or aunt, or similar, just as it begins to get grim in the afternoon meet up with working parent and its all exciting and everyone is hiding bags of pressies from everyone else. Go home have christmas meal no1, stay up late, after midnight mass get to open one big /main present with working parent present. go to bed

CD get up stupid early, not care that one parent isn't there because there's a pile of santa stuff to go mad with, other parent/family members busy in kitchen anyway and kids playing with toys. Have a christmassey lunch but save the main meal till later. In the afternoon working parent comes home and all the santa excitement gets re-lived as kids show them all the stuff santa brought, then christmas dinner, then crackers and more presents (the wrapped non santa ones)

BD go out somewhere for the day..

its actually nice to have christmas spread out a bit, it is not ruined, it is still magical! if every present is opened at the same time on CD morning they all blend a bit its better to spread them out anyway, I do even when not working!

I dont have children, but I was one once....

dont children like Christmas beecause they get presents & aren't really bothered if both parents are there?

Actually Signet's way of doing a Christmas rota is quite common.
I have had at least two jobs in the past and my current one does this and it works very well.

Some people prefer to work NYE so they can have Christmas off and vice versa.
I always opt for the New Years Eve sleep so that I get Christmas off and then be home for 10.00am and have the rest of the day free and have a rest day the following day so we have friends round then and have a bit of a party.

Our managers never work it. I dont know why either. Perk, I suppose.

I work for the NHS and each year we get asked to put names on a list as to what out preference to work is, Christmas or New Year. I take it in turns and alternate each year; that way seems fair and no one can ever turn round and say that I never worked over Christmas (I have 2 DCs). I could ask for every Christmas off but out of respect for everyone (including colleagues without children), I like to take my turn.

My boss is very good and will let me work split shifts at this time of year, rather than my usual 12.5 hour shifts, so I'm either home after lunch or get to spend the morning with everyone before heading off to work. I knew when I applied to work for the NHS that unsociable hours were part of my contract so it's not something that bothers me. DP doesn't so much like being on his own on Christmas morning as he's generally lumbered with those annoying tags that strap toys to their packaging and the dreaded battery hunt

I have 3 DCs, not two! Typo, sorry. I can count

upahill, yes opting for one or the other is common, but what signet is ALSO saying is within that preference is given to the option chosen by people with children under 16, and also that she is assuming that parents want the morning of christmas off (I'ld prefer the late off of the two..), which is not common, that could NOT be the official line of any organisation

I prefer to work the early on Christmas morning; the DCs are all busy opening presents, so me not being there isn't that bad! I'd rather come home, relax and enjoy the rest of the day.

Grumplestin - What I was saying is in the very first post, people chose 3 out of the five they want to work, one must be xmas or new years day.

If people are happy to work christmas day they will put their name down against christmas day. I have lots of parents who work both earlies and lates through their own choices.

The names out of a hat only comes if nobody comes forward, then it goes on an agreed between the team order of priority children and carers (be it old disabled, etc) first then anyone else. Its quite straight forward in my team because we have three very clear groups 1 - those with young children 2 - those with adult children and grandkids/ eldery parents 3 - those without responsibilities

Of course there's nothing to consider if there's an emergency. I don't need to consider if I'm sober enough to work because I should never drink in case the NHS needs me. I don't need to consider if I'm insured to work extra. It's not as if I could be sued by anyone over Christmas. And I don't need to consider if I'm fit to work based on the hours I've already done. What people need is an insured, drunk or exhausted doctor.
It also depends on the nature of the emergency - major incident, flu pandemic is very different (and allowed for in insurance terms as extra hours over and above) than a staffing emergency. And sometimes staffing emergencies are caused by management cost cutting and lack of planning - the 4 day bank holiday over Christmas is the busiest period all year. Do they plan for this by booking extra staff or providing extra rooms for seeing patients or extra computer terminals??? Not a chance. If a staffing emergency occurred due to staff illness or a bereavement that's completely different and I've stepped in at short notice at other times.