To think my sister should stand up for herself re Christmas leave

[Daisysbear]

My sister has no children and, for the third year running, is being pressured to work on Christmas Day (It's a call centre type job). She, and other child free colleagues have been told that, as compensation, they can have New Year's Day off.

My sister is not in the least interested in hitting the town on NYE. She's in her forties and would really like to spend Christmas day with extended family, including our elderly mother.

I've told her to put her foot down, as she's being treated unfairly, but she's afraid she'll come across as selfish and begrudging.
AIBU to think she's being silly and perfectly entitled to object to being expected to work Christmas Day every year simply because she'd not a mother?

So glad they are taking a stand together, it isn't right that they should pressurise staff like that. What if your only child has died? Which group does that put you in??

I've been working for ten Christmas days and have worked three of them, with one year off for mat leave. I've had a young family for the last three and worked one of them, so no positive discrimination there. I don't much like working Christmas, but then I didn't love it before DD arrived - it is a much quicker commute, though. We usually just have our presents and turkey on a different day if I'm working - DD doesn't seem to mind yet though I expect that will change come next year.

Any more developments today OP?

They had a meeting with management yesterday afternoon. The Christmas rota hasn't been finalised but it has been agreed that managers will look at who have worked in the previous two years and ask those who haven't to work Christmas day this year. They will 'see how it goes' and get back to the delegation on Friday.

So not there yet, but some improvement.

I'm suprised that it's this close to Xmas and the rota isn't finalised yet how is anyone suppost to book time away?! I work for the prison service and we work out Xmas in September/October to give people time to male arrangements.

As PP have said, it's not discrimination as being/not being a parent is not a protected characteristic,but it certainly is unfair.

I really hope management take heed OP and next year is a lot fairer all round

Well, it's a step. But I wonder what they mean by 'ask'. Do they mean ask as is in 'it's your turn' or ask as in 'do you mind?'. Because if the parents have the mindset that they shouldn't have to work on Xmas, something tells me that they won't get many volunteers.

Sounds to me like your lazy management are still going to allow the parents more wriggle room than you will get.

And like a PP said the Christmas rotas should be organized by now. Bone idle twats.

That sounds like progress. Well done your sister.

That's really crap management.

At what point did they envisage the cut off for "young families" being? Or once you had children, were you allowed Christmas day off in perpetuity?

Surely when these parents took the job they knew it involved Christmas working! I am sympathetic to it, I work in care and my oh is a paramedic. Luckily I am a bank worker so can choose my own shifts but oh has to just work his shifts on his rota, this year it's 12-12 Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the New Years Eve and New Years Day. That's just the way it is. Leave is cancelled in his ambulance service over Christmas and New Year regardless of family situations or commitments.

Hope hour sister gets somewhere. So unfair!

Yes, rubbish management but at least they've been sent the message that their staff aren't happy and are willing to do something about it.

Well done to you, your sister and her colleagues. Fingers crossed for a good result.

Totally reasonable to expect to get at least the odd Xmas off, and for the burden to be spread evenly. I was going to say though, that your sister should be careful if it's not unionised and the management are already playing the guilt cards (as they've already shown themselves not to be the most progressive place), but the fact she and her colleagues went en masse was totally the right way to handle this.

At my work there is a point system. Xmas Eve late/night, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Years eve late/night each score 1 point. All employees self-roster but must score 3 points with their shifts. Once the deadline is passed, management look at the roster and adjust it to ensure adequate cover, checking the last year's off-duty to make sure it's fair.

Any update from your sister OP? I do hope that she gets Christmas off this year.

Yes Have they sorted it yet?

Has it all been confirmed and sorted at your sisters workplace OP?

Did it get sorted properly OP?

Surely the could half the shifts. So more people end up wirking but for less time. X used to work either days or nights 4 xmas out of 5 but he didn't kind. Bug bucks in his job.

I do hope they at least play double time. Triple used to standard for NYD here.

Hope she gets the day off OP.