to refuse to work on Christmas Eve

[Ithinkitsjustme]

for 1 hour. I work for a supermarket petrol station and my normal Monday shift is from 7pm until 10.15pm, but on Christmas Eve we have been told that we will be closing at 8. AIBU to say that I won't go in for 1 hour? Even if I go in I will still owe them 2.25 hours work. As far as I am concerned they can either ASK if the people who work until 7 would mind staying on until 8 or just close at 7.

Brandy your attitude is just shite. She rings in sick, then the person before her has to stay and they may have plans.

I wouldn't ring in sick - Christmas Eve or not, but wouldn't mind asking the earlier staff f they would stay on and i'd do an hour for them on another day. I just can't see why they can't close at 7, how many people will be buying fuel (when the store will be shut at 6 anyway) at 8 o'clock, and if it's advertised as being closed at 7 then thos epopel wil just come in earleir.

The last place I worked made you take a whole day's annual leave for Christmas Eve, except if you went in you'd be sent home by lunchtime, so got a free afternoon!

Just go in. Soak up the Christmas spirit.

I was a junior doctor on call on millennium eve and had to work through to 4am.
You need to do the shifts you are contracted to work.
I now run a business and have one member of staff who is already trying to pull a fast one over Christmas holiday leave. I suspect she may pull a sickky if I do not give her her own road, but that's life and I will just have to cover it myself!

Could you ask the person on the shift before to do your hour, then do an hour for them at their convenience? Or let them get away earlier and you do your usual 3.25 hours?

Its your job, you do it.

I've worked christmas day, 12 hour shift.

Stop complaining.

If they had decided to stay open until 10pm would you have worked?

As I said earlier, I'd be quite happy to work my normal shift, it's the idea of traveling into work for one hour and still owing time as well. I'd feel the same if was any day, but it's even more annoying when it's on Christmas Eve. (I'd also be happy to go in and work for one hour if they were paying me for the whole shift - but for £7!!)

Actually I don't think your employer is being fair if you still owe the hours because they have shut early.

It's the same as office workers being sent home early then forced to make up the hours.

Could you take a days holiday?

Someone may be happy to swap for new year. I used to do this with a young lad at my work as it suited as both. I wanted to be with my family on Christmas Eve and he wanted to go out for New Years so we swapped every year.

Ghost is right.
I spent some time out of work on incapacity following a spell in an intensive care unit.
It was HORRIBLE.
Trust me, if you lose your job you will miss it.
If you were one of my staff and started getting shirty over Christmas shifts you would get an official warning.

I would offer to go in earlier to do your full hours. I would imagine the person on the earlier shift might like the idea of leaving a couple of hours earlier so they can get home for Christmas Eve dinner.

If the person before does your hour and you do an hour a other time, you'll still owe your work some time won't you?

What about Hogmanay, are they closing earlier then? If the same staff are on perhaps you could do a deal.

I don't understand why they expect you to make up the hours they've chosen to close?

just be happy your only doing an hour.. double time aswell i imagin.. or it was when i worked christmass eve , christmas day and boxing day

SHRIIIEEEK - yes, I would still owe 2.25 hours,
Don't mind - I can't go in earlier unless someone else want s to leave early and then make the time up (and the two lads aren't bothered about Christmas Eve anyway - although they may swap for new year)
Emmon - how many of your staff do you ask to turn up for one hour?

YABU to consider "refusing" to work or calling in sick. You would not be unreasonable to have a chat with colleagues working earlier shifts and/or your manager to see if you can come to a more satisfactory resolution - e.g. swapping that hour with a colleague and picking up their hours on NYE, or starting work early, picking up some hours off a willing colleague to make the journey less pointless.

its a working day, be glad you just have to go in for an hour, its quite normal in most house for one or both adults to do a full shift on christmas eve

I'd be really glad I got off so lightly

No double time just £7!

Why would it be double time, it's not a bank holiday?

YABU unreasonable to 'refuse' any work related request full stop really. YWNBU to state the reasons you have here and see if you can negotiate anything

This is how I see it. You have a contract to work to 10.15pm. You will have turned up and worked one hour, you are ready to work the rest of your shift to fulfil your contract. Your employer is contracted to give you those hours work, they decide not to give them to you and being generous have sent you home even though you were willing to do the work. They should pay you up to 10.15pm.
Check your contract and post this on the employment board where someone better qualified can comment.

I thought supermarkets put everyone's shifts back? So you would start at 4:45pm and finish at 8? That's what Morrisons always did when I was there.

Have they put the Christmas rotas out yet? That should make things clearer.

Either way,not going in would be very unreasonable. It's your job.