to think having New Year's Eve off is not a fair compensation for working Christmas Day

[Vintagejazz]

Once again my SIL will not be able to join us for Christmas day because she ends up working on this day every year. Her crime? She doesn't have children and so the managers in the organisation for which she works have deemed it fair that those with young children get Christmas Eve and Day off so they can be with their children, and those without get New Year's Eve and Day off so they can go out and celebrate.
My SIL is 45 and does not have any desire to spend NYE out clubbing and pubbing and getting home at 5am. However, she would like to be able to spend Christmas Day with her parents, nieces and nephews, significant other etc. as she has worked on this day for the past 3 years.

AIBU to think this is a rubbish arrangement and to have suggested she and others in a similar position approach management and outline the unfairness of the arrangement and ask that it be reviewed?

thisis that's horrible for you. surely if you work a night on Xmas Eve then Boxing Day day you are not getting a proper 'sleep' day so they can't make you do it. If you work 13 hour shifts like myself, you need a proper rest day in between and I would point that out to them. I feel for you

In my job we work Christmas Day - I also have children (youngest is 11) I have worked the last 2 Christmas Days in a row - 1st one - fair enough my turn - last year - erm not so keen esp as others got Christmas Day and Boxing Day off but I was forced to work Christmas Day in order to get Boxing Day off (needed as daughter also working Christmas Day). I have changed employer now but will not be amused if I end up with Christmas day again.

I think if it can't be staffed by people volunteering to work then it should be a strict rota of off one year on the next etc regardless for all who don't opt to work it - regardless of children etc.

It always fucks me off when parents expect the right to time off always just because they're parents. So because I can't have children I never get to share in my nieces and nephews day? Fan bloody tastic, as if the hand I was dealt wasn't shitty enough.

The kind of parent that thinks like this are always the same selfish fucks that thinks the only reason someone might not have children is because they are child hating bastards and they the parent are infinitely superior. Twats.

MsRinky, that put the biggest smile on my face, and I'm a massive Scrooge.

I am a parent and a nurse , when i decided to be a nurse i took on board the whole 24/7 , 365 thing . So sometimes i work Christmas and sometimes i don't , i usually request a early or off shift for Christmas day and am happy to work every other shift over the festive period . The person looking at the off duty , looks at the request and cover offered and then it depends on who got it off last year as to who works this year .
I actually like working an early Christmas day , the children usually open a few presents before i leave , then i go to work , i get back we all go round to relatives where they open more and we eat , then we stagger home about 7 and open some more , spreads the day out a bit and stops the feeding frenzy of opening all the presents at once . Plus if i am working i get out of cooking and just have to change and hold a hand out for a glass of something restorative on my return

We don't have the option to work less than a 13 hour day shift or 12 hour night shift,
I sometimes think they should split the shifts into shorter bits over Xmas,but then who wants to go to work at lunchtime on Xmas day? It's difficult.

She is being discriminated against.

Altinkum what a selfish attitude. Really and truly.

" is being a parent a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, then?"

No. this brief Citizens Advice guide handily lists the nine protected characteristics. Neither being a parent or not being a parent are there.

My kids are grown up now and it always appears that I am expected to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on call. This year I refused, having done the last 3 years........all hell has broken loose because people with young kids have to do one or the other. It's taken 3 years for me to say "nope not doing it." Two people had actually assumed I'd do it and made plans. Nae luck then, they'll have to change their plans! I'm the first one to help anyone out but not when the piss is being taken. YANBU.

Since when was Christmas about children? YANBU...there should be some system in place to ensure everyone gets to enjoy Christmas day off fairly over the duration that they work for the company. One year on, one year off works well for some so that everyone has to work it every other year. My mum was a nurse and they had so many playing the child card they decided EVERYONE worked it regardless. However as all staff had to be in...they only had to do 3 hours each and could then pick a shift that suited them best but again this was on a rota system so ppl could not always work the 'preferred' shifts.

If you're in a job which has to have 24/7 365 a day cover then you need to accept working your share of Christmas Days etc is part of it.

A similar plan was proposed at my work years ago and due to the uproar was shelved. I don't have children but I have 2 young nieces who still believe in Santa and who I want to see on Christmas Day.

If we're rostered to work then staffing is taken to the minimum were all asked our preferences and if there's too many want the day off they look at last year's rosters.

I don't see why as a childless person I should be expected to work every year. I still have family I want to spend it with

The employer of course needs to ensure that parents are not discriminated against

Employers need to ensure they do not discriminate against any employees. If a certain practice is unfairly impacting on one group because of an issue relating to gender, race or religion it is discriminatory.

These employers may well be discriminating against men if there are a disproportionate amount of mothers dodging the Christmas shift.

They may well be discriminating against sincere Christians if a disproportionate number of non Christians are dodging the Christmas shift.

They may be discriminating against atheists if a disproportionate number of Christians claim this day and atheists never get a chance to be off on a day when most people are.

They may be in breach of terms of employment if reasonable holiday requests are routinely turned down for no valid operational reasons, which favouring parents isn't.

YANBU, it should be fair. I hope your SIL complains.

Phaedra you have stated that the OPs SIL "is being discriminated against"

Which protected characteristic does she have that constitutes discrimination?

Happy to back flowery up that she does, really, know this stuff :o

I had this where I used to work - those with children automatically presumed they would have Christmas off - I asked once why I had again been put down for the whole of Christmas again and was told 'well you haven't got a family'.

Nice.

That was where they went wrong at my work 'We suggest those with families get Christmas Day off'

that'll be all of us then. We might not all have children but we do all have families

I was a manager in an Acute Trust for a while before I had children and responsible for a major department. I ran a strict rota over all public holidays with people who had worked the previous year for that particular holiday then had it off the next. There was, however, flexibility for people who, eg, had to travel aboard or who were single parents - but for everyone else, they were expected to take their turn. Most people were fine with the arrangement, but I did get a few people who made a fuss and, I'm sorry to say that they were all parents who made a point of informing me that "I didn't understand what it was like to have children" and "wait until I had them" etc etc - which was a but hurtful as I'd gone through chemo a few years before, and at that time it looked like there would be no children. But, the rota was fair and if people didn't want to work Christmas/New Year whatever at least once every couple of years - then, frankly, they shouldn't be working in a frontline NHS service.

My mum has worked all Christmas for the past 15 years.

She was supposed to have it off last year but some twat called in sick. Queue pictures of the cow having a wonderful family Christmas!

It should be taken in turns. Kids or not.

It's threads like this that make me realise I'm so lucky that our office closes Xmas Eve and reopens in the new year.

to all those working over Xmas.

And yes, it is unfair that those with children get fair dibs.

*cue

Backing up flowery too, there is no discrimination surrounding asking people to work on Christmas day unless you're asking them because of their race, gender, disability etc.