To be fucked off about Working on Christmas Day

[Flipflopskid]

I am working ( not by choice) on Christmas Day ( absent from home from the early hrs of the 24 th even...) and will not be home til gone 11 pm on the 25th, hence I will be forced to miss out on everything.

The joy has gone from my heart. I'm well fucked off I can tell you.

In the past I have always shunned the idea of Christmas in a hotel, Christmas lunch in a restaurant etc. out of respect for the poor buggers who would have to work it; like their families don't matter at all ....

God it makes me so angry that people don't think about this when booking their flight,making a reservation for a mini break etc. cos they can't be bothered to do it all themselves!

" I know lets get some other poor bastard to do it instead and hey, just for god measure, fuck up a prospective special magical parent/ kids bonding session whilst we're at it!"


Am I being unreasonable?

[Notonaschoolnight]

I've done a few Xmas days in a call centre muttering under my breath "who the fuck needs to query their mobile phone bill on xd" but I knew it was open 365d a year when I took the job

[Flipflopskid]

Well said Blu!

I've opened up a big can of worms ( inadvertently) but it has ( hopefully) made us all count our blessing however great or small thay are.

i will raise a glass (mocktail of course) wear some racy underwear under my head to toe abaya on Christmas day in tribute to everyone on on here ( and buy a big box og choccies for the flight attentdants on my flight home).

And Sooty- I land at 8 pm into Heathrow on christmas night and am more than happy to share a mince pie and a sherry with you in if you are anywhere near Newport Pagnell services around 9, so you won't be on your own. I'm serious!


Merry christmas wherever you will be everybody!!!

[Thants]

It's stupid people saying you chose to take the job. Like there's just an abundance of jobs for everyone to take their pick of! You take a job because you need to. And it is irritating that we can't have one public holiday a year! One day. That's not a big ask.

[RandomMess]

My dad was a manager of a telephone exchange which then became directory enquiries - staff volunteered to work (short) shifts due to the extra pay etc. What I remember though is that he used to go and visit them on Christmas day at some point and say thank you.

I now realise probably that it wasn't the norm even back in the day!

[SolomanDaisy]

My Mum used to work on Xmas day sometimes, but they split the shifts so people only had to do a few hours. We used to go up to the hospital to collect her and take mince pies etc.. It was quite fun.

[SarahBumBarer]

Ilovesooty because it's one day of the year where nearly everyone gets a holiday. And whether your religious or not I think it's a good thing to have national holidays. You can't cook for one day?

Not much of a holiday if you are cooking though especially if you cook nearly every other day of the year. It's just not possible for the entire country to go on holiday.

DH will be working, through choice. I don't see the fuss, he does not see the fuss, the kids will not see the fuss. Because we're not looking for problems, it is not a problem.

[ilovesooty]

Flipflop I'm in West Yorkshire but that was a very kind offer. Thank you.

[pumpkinkitty]

My DH regularly has to work Christmas, he's always on at NYE and most other big occasions.

He (and therefore we as a family) do miss out a bit because of his job. However, we knew this is what it would be like when he signed up and so we have to suck it up, as do you I'm afraid!

[Madratlady]

I am a nurse. I worked the last 2 Christmases. This year I'm starting maternity leave on the 22nd. I do feel bad about swanning off when my colleagues will have to work Christmas but I can't imagine I'll get another one off for a while.

[PeppiNephrine]

Sounds like you probably make rather a lot of money though OP, which should ease the pain somewhat.

[bubalou]

It sucks and I'm sorry but unfortunately lots of people work Xmas day.

My DM is a nurse and has worked all of or most of Xmas day for the past 8 years. She knew that would be the case when she went into that field of work.

Just make the most of the other days you have off.

[Thants]

I didn't say you personally have to cook. Anyone can. I mean feed yourself instead if eating out. That can mean ready meals!

[ilovesooty]

How many people do you know who want
to eat ready meals on Christmas day? It seems quite comprehensible to me that they might want to be cooked for. If the demand were not there places wouldn't be fully booked even at the inflated prices charged. Incidentally these inflated prices aren't the norm everywhere. Also in some European cities you will find many shops and most restaurants open on Christmas day and not charging massively inflated rates.

[FrankelInFoal]

I've worked several Christmas Day's in the past and actually quite enjoyed it. Obviously I was young free and single at the time, but working at riding schools and stud farms meant that people had to work - the horses need feeding, mucking out, grooming and turning out 365 days a year.

At the time I'd have been more than happy to volunteer to work so that people with young kids could have the day off, but company policy was that everyone had to show up for work unless Christmas Day fell on your designated day off.

[Pobblewhohasnotoes]

11pm Pobble.... there would only be 1 hr of christmas day left


Yes, I corrected my mistake below my post if you look.

[greenfolder]

yanbu- there are lots of jobs of course that involve 24 hr cover so christmas has to be worked.

i would be beyond fucked off is someone suddenly decided that the world would stop if i didnt do my boring insurance job on xmas day. its the thin end of the wedge.

[flatmum]

flipflop have you got kids? I work in IT in finance in the UK and over here it generally works out that anyone that wants to celebrate christmas with their kids can - every bank I have worked at there have generally been some people of a religion who don't celebrate Xmas or people without kids or who werent doing much anyway (no family nearby) who have volunteered to cover xmas Day - and this is reciprocated by the people with kids for other religious festivals etc. Seems to work ok and I think your company are being a bit unreasonable - but then I guess it is easier here as the 25th in a bank holiday and I suppose not in Saudi?

I usually work xmas eve, have Xmas day off and then am on call boxing day from home - could you not fly back the day before and then work remotely xmas day so you could at least be at home? I think your company are being very unfair if you have plenty of colleagues who dont celebrate xmas day and for whom the 25th is a normal working day - sounds political to me!

[SarahBumBarer]

There's a little owner managed run greasy spoon near us. They open on Xmas day. Last year it was £10.95 a head for a three course Christmas lunch on Christmas Day. I suspect it was not great food but it was booked out and I understand a great atmosphere for a lot of people (quite lot elderly) who might otherwise have had a bit of a grey Christmas. Lots of people want to work.

Ready meals? Really? I bet in the whole rest of my life I never hear anyone in RL make that suggestion!

[ilovesooty]

Sarah that sounds great. If that were near me I'd book in like a shot.

[complexnumber]

My DSis works in the NHS, she and her colleagues always try to accommodate non-Christian workers religious holidays during the year.

So she was quite miffed when these same workers all seemed to want Christmas off as well. Surely they should have stepped aside for the other workers to whom Christmas is more significant, especially if they have family with young children.

[JohnnyBarthes]

I used to like working over Christmas (catering). People wanted the shifts. I really wouldn't worry too much about the poor staff, basically.

[0utnumbered]

My partner is a nightclub manager and whilst he won't be working christmas day he will be working christmas eve until early hours of the morning and back on boxing day. The whole of december when we should be doing things with our two little boys will be spent hyping up the stupid club.

I understand how you feel OP. I am a student nurse so I get that I will be working Christmas at some point (although I will do my best to swap with someone else who doesn't have kids and wants to go out for new year or something - I used to do this when I worked on a 24 hospital ward in reception with staff who had kids before I had mine!). The point is, I understand that nurses need to work 24/7, people don't stop getting ill because it is Christmas and I have chosen this career to the extent I will be studying 3 years (4.5 years in total if I become a midwife at the end). People do not need to go clubbing!! there are so many weekends, bank holidays and less family orientated occasions like halloween throughout the year that can be for nights out as well as new years eve straight afterwards, I really really don't understand why clubs can't just close for that week and get everyone hyped up for new year! Stupid money making crap!!! Sorry to hijack thread with a rant but companies do need to look at whether the world will stop turning if people aren't working or whether they can allow families some precious time they will never get back.

[Weegiemum]

My dh works Christmas/New Year on a rolling schedule, he's a GP and part of the rural on call rota in his area - goes with the job.

He last worked Christmas 3 years ago, new year 2 years ago, he'll do Christmas next year. Sadly, last time he did Christmas he had a terminal patient he and his colleagues were providing hospice at home care for. He died late on Christmas Day. Now that's a crappy Christmas. Me and dc didn't see much of dh that day - he spent a lot of time out, setting up morphine pumps, contacting nurses, explaining things to the family etc.

But really, he was able to help this man to a pain free, peaceful death - one family member took dh aside and said thank-you for the "Christmas Present" of the care he'd given. As dh was sitting seeing how pain relief etc went, he was also able to send the district nurse home to her family.

He was off on the 27th so we saved the big dinner etc for then.

I'm not trying to big up my dh. He does this sort of thing a lot, it's just his job.

I don't spare a thought for those who have to work Christmas. I spare a thought for the people who genuinely need the people who have to work Christmas.

[expatinscotland]

It's one day, hardly the end of the fucking world. YABU.

[Flipflopskid]

Yes I am aren't I.
Fuck the fact that I won't get to be on the photos and share the last Christmas of my darling sisters life. What a twat I'm being.

And yes. The money will make it a lot easier......


Laughable.

But a big thanks to all who actually read the thread and understood that the day can mean so much more than a fucking turkey and a bit of tinsel .