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.

picnic largely true but there are many jobs that balance it- eg haulage industry where you can't have a day off in December (well our branch of haulage years back)

Rathlin I used to do a sleepover shift in someone's home Christmas Eve pre DC: was fab, they even put out a buffet for me and I watched late night carols eating chocs- bliss.

Now, that sounds like a very cushy number

YANBU when I didn't have a family of my own, being with the only family I had involved travel so working christmas meant I went home to an empty shared house rather than being able to make it to my parents house

I'll be working christmas this year, but because I have a family of my own, who live with me reasonably near work, then whatever shift I work means that I will still have lots of lovely christmas family time as my family christmas is only 30 mins away from work now

and my parents worked christmas and it was fine, rather than the day dragging on it was really cherished for the morning or evening or whichever it was that we were all there

I have this issue with my staff all the time. What we say is those with children under the age of 16 get priority to christmas day off.

however, if we dont have enough stff to cover what we need then names go in a hat. People knew it was an unsociable job and 24/7 365 days a year when they started. No point bitching about it at xmas.

"I think people that do not have kids should offer to work.... children especially if they are little and believe in santa should have their parents around on that day.I think people that have no children do not quite get it,until they are parents themselves"

WOW patronising much! people who don't have kids WERE kids once and remember what christmas is like for a kid!

hairy.I would as an adult give anything up for the satisfaction of knowing I had made a child happy....christmas is of course a time for all to enjoy,but christmas day is so special to children,unless you still believe in santa? My children are grown up now,so i do not mind working but when they were little,i never would of missed that day with them.Do you have children? If not,then you simply have not got a clue what i am talking about,as only a parent would.

signet2012 that sounds very fair.

I dont think it sounds fair at all! does that extend to the school holidays as well?

do posters think the OP was never a child at christmas?

and christmas is still special as a child if a parent works, its usually only a half day and how many parents are uselsess and snoring after too much wine and food by 3pm anyway?

No, it doesn't sound fair.

If you've chosen to have kids and you know your job involves unsociable hours then surely you have to accept that sometimes Xmas is going to be a problem? It doesn't seem fair to give those with children special dispensation.

2old yes I have a step daughter - she's adult now but I've been around since she was two.

You go ahead and sacrifice what you want - but please don't tell the rest of us what we should sacrifice.

kitya Whats not fair?

oh and pre kids I worked new years to get christmas off to spend what was my father's last christmas with him, I have children now but still do not feel that people with children needed ALL of christmas off that year more than I did!

I'm sure this thread is making all those parents who have work Xmas day feel absolutely great

Signet, that people with children under the age of 16 get priority. Why 16? What if your youngest was 15 and your eldest 22? arent they young adults?

Absolute tosh on this thread about parents needing to have priority for the Christmas holidays over people without children. The only complication I can see is that where a couple with children both are rostered to work.

Fairness is the key; with children or not, everybody should have the same priority for Christmas leave and the same duty to work it if required.

The 'parent posters' on this thread leave me speechless. I'm not surprised that some of you find your colleagues unwilling to budge. Entitled or what?

Well, I guess because you have to have a cut off point somewhere, 16 and 22 are old enough to understand that sometimes you have responsibilities that don't go away just because its Christmas.

What we tend to do is in October staff meetings I hand a sheet round.
The rules are you have to put your name down for Christmas day or New year day. Then you have to pick another two days out of the rest ie xmas eve, boxing day, new years eve and can indicate either Early or Late. We do the rota's of this, normally people get what they want. Some people with young children volunteer to work from 3pm onwards as they say their little ones would be up from 4/5am anyway so will be tired and moany by 3! It normally works out quite well and staff are happy to do their share, those who arent well its tough really. Its all done fairly and tbh anyone with grown up children who would insist on having the day off and watch another one of their team come in who have young children, where the magic is still very much there would just show that they weren't a very good team player.

Unfortunately some jobs you cant just "shut up shop" when its Christmas, you have to accept that if you accept a job in a field like that.

As for school holidays - Im not sure whether that was directed to me or not? School holidays, like any other week of the year is a max of 3 off together. First come First served REGARDLESS of children/childless.

When I say its tough really, that relates to any staff member regardless of their family affairs.

"tbh anyone with grown up children who would insist on having the day off and watch another one of their team come in who have young children, where the magic is still very much there would just show that they weren't a very good team player"

WTF

what about people with older children and very frail parents, or family who are all spread over the globe and get together once every 5 years, or a partner who is ill, or an 18 year old home after a difficult first term away at uni....... those people would miss the working person more than a 1 or 2 year old who wouldn't notice the difference!

Signet - that sounds like a very fair system to me, and one which is entirely transparent. So often you get companies where it's all done under the table that parents get priority so that singletons ALWAYS get left with the rubbish shifts/days. It just creates tension where tere doesn't need to be any.

Actually I've personally volunteered to work Xmas for one of the junior staff members when she was rostered on for Christmas Eve since her working that meant her not getting home for Christmas at all, whereas to me I could just pop into work leaving the mayhem to hubby. It shamed some of the more senior staff to review who had gazumped all the leave around those dates and work out a fairer system, which was all round a good thing.

To those who seem to think that having children should give you preferential treatment when it comes to having time off at Xmas, its worth remembering that although all parents of children 16 and below can request flexible working , and have a right to have that request considered properly, one of the reasons which it can justifiably be refused is if it would place additional burden on colleagues. Therefore flexible working does not equate - quite rightly- with other people getting less favourable treatment.

Employees should be treated equitably. If you agree a part time contract with your employer Which doesn't impact on your colleagues, fair enough- you work less, you get paid proportionately less, no problem. Expecting to get nicer shifts and not have to do things like Xmas are unreasonable. Everyone should do their share, pro rata if you work only part time.

We do 12 hour shifts which I think are common generally right now.

One thing I dont think is fair where I am is that if you ask for New Year off you are put on either a long day or night New Years eve. I wouldve thought that anyone asking for New Years day off does so with the intention of going out New Years eve. If they are willing to work Christmas day then, in my opinion, they should get the two days off New Year. I think it sucks personally that I am working CD and BD and, New Years day but that is another issue

To the parents here who think that they should be favoured over child-free colleagues; imagine that colleague explaining to their sole, elderly parent that they will be on their own on Xmas Day again because their colleagues with kids have the monopoly on festive happiness. Massive kick in the teeth, yes?