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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Stolen holiday?

95 replies

goldengecko · 20/12/2016 12:09

My office closes at lunchtime on Friday (Christmas Eve) meaning that everyone here will only be working a half day.

I've had Friday (and Thursday) booked off for some time now and it dawned on me yesterday that I'm essentially losing half a day's holiday as I've taken an entire day for what is only a half day of work.

The MD's defence (even though he himself won't be in that day) is that because it's not an "official closure" and just a "goodwill gesture" anyone wanting to take it off needs to take the whole day.

It's not the extra half day that I'm working that bothers me, I'm not THAT petty, it's more the principle. The fact that I turn up on time every day (unlike my colleagues) and always get things done (and on time), I would've hoped would've counted for something.

Instead I feel like I'm being punished for wanting to spend more time with my family over Christmas...

AIBU?

OP posts:

SapphireStrange · 20/12/2016 12:58

No, sorry, the word 'stolen' is totally appropriate.

All those saying it's standard practice: well, presumably only because people keep shrugging and saying that and letting companies get away with it!

What do HR say, OP?

LeninaCrowne · 20/12/2016 12:59

I worked in a place that decided to lay on mince pies and a cup of tea/ mulled wine for the people working half day one year. We workers had to wait until 12, meanwhile some greedy non Christmas Eve workers and their families turned up early and scoffed the lot.

donajimena · 20/12/2016 13:02

I always used to work the whole of Christmas when I worked in an office. It was fab. Half day finishes Christmas eve and between Christmas and new year. Saved your annual leave for summer.

justkeeponsmiling · 20/12/2016 13:04

I work for the NHS and haven't been able to take Annual Leave for the weeks covering xmas and New Year for 10 years. I would happily give a couple of weeks worth of Annual leave for a few days off over xmas. I'm very jealous and YABU.

BendingSpoons · 20/12/2016 13:08

My last job only made you take 4 hours leave on Christmas Eve as a goodwill gesture. Sadly my current job doesn't do this.

crumpetsforteaa · 20/12/2016 13:09

That's not really the problem though is it just?

I can't take holiday 40 weeks of the year and think OP isn't being U.

ImtheChristmasCarcass · 20/12/2016 13:10

Not standard practice where I worked, but it was a govt agency. Normally we either went to a 'skeleton' staff by order of the Director on Xmas Eve or the President declared office closure and everyone got Xmas Eve off. If you were on leave Xmas Eve you had the time restored to you. If you were part of the skeleton crew you got NY Eve off.

amusedbush · 20/12/2016 13:10

Surely that's only fair?

Only if it's a published, official holiday. Ours isn't guaranteed, it's totally unofficial and every dept does it differently so you can't claim the holiday back. In my previous dept in the same company, we closed up at 12 noon but in my new dept I've been warned that it's anywhere between 2pm and 4pm, depending on how cheery the manager is feeling.

TheHighPriestessOfTinsel · 20/12/2016 13:11

I think it depends on how official or otherwise the early finish is.

I've always booked Christmas Eve off. Those who are working usually get dismissed at about 2pm, but this is entirely at the manager's discretion and can be withdrawn if the shit hits the fan. The same applies to NYE and one year something came up, and we all ended up working until 4pm.

I'd rather "lose" a few hours' leave in return for the certainty of all the time off that I'd like.

Thisjustinno · 20/12/2016 13:11

It's a 'reward' for the people who've turned up for the last working day before Christmas, not an official half day holiday so no, you shouldn't only have to use half a days holiday.

harderandharder2breathe · 20/12/2016 13:12

Yabu pretty common and a goodwill gesture for those working Christmas Eve

My company doesn't work Saturdays so doesn't affect me this year, but normally people get sent home early on Christmas Eve. But it's not guaranteed, is decided on the day and is names out of a hat who leaves first, then in waves but some unlucky buggers have to stay til close. (They go first on New Year's Eve when the same thing happens). But if you want a guaranteed day off or half day you book it and use holiday.

MsJamieFraser · 20/12/2016 13:16

Pretty standard tbh

emmskie03 · 20/12/2016 13:20

Yabu. It seems pretty normal and in our place it's seen as a bonus for those who do come in and work in Christmas Eve/last working day. The business needs to keep ticking over. You have the option to cancel your leave and work the half day instead.

user1481838270 · 20/12/2016 13:26

Early closing on Christmas Eve is usually a goodwill gesture towards those who have come in and worked that day. Some firms also do the same on New Year's Eve.

Using the word 'stolen' in this context is a bit melodramatic

Scribblegirl · 20/12/2016 13:34

YANBU. A friend of mine was recently working really hard on a project with her team of four, they were working ridiculous hours. She had a long weekend booked for a hen do one Friday just after the project had finished up. As a thank you for the hard work on the project all four of them were given a half day on the Friday. When my friend asked if she could amend her holiday to a half day so as to take up the 'reward' for her team, they said no! Really poor form IMO.

At ours, we get told in advance that it's a half day (office closing 1pm) so I have booked the morning off. I think it's stupid of companies to make a big deal about this sort of thing, bearing in mind how much goodwill is lost from staff in exchange for 4 hours of holiday time being used up.

CashelGirl · 20/12/2016 13:46

Could you leave early today as this is your last day before Christmas. Then you won't feel as if you are missing out and won't spend the afternoon sat they stewing with resentment. Xx

SapphireStrange · 20/12/2016 13:49

It's a 'reward' for the people who've turned up for the last working day before Christmas

So the message is, if you're willing/able to come in on that day you're somehow 'better' than the staff who have taken it as a holiday and deserve a reward .

That's fucked up.

Original poster

goldengecko · 20/12/2016 14:04

This is my first time on MN so didn't expect quite so many responses...

The company is really small, only a few of us so no HR dept!

As for those who are attacking me, I've said it's not about the actual time (what's a few hours/quid), it's more abut the principal of it and the fact that it was such short notice that there was nothing I could do about it...

Truth be told I'm not really doing any work this afternoon anyway so hey-ho!

Life goes on!

OP posts:

Thisjustinno · 20/12/2016 14:11

Sapphire - nothing to do with anyone being 'better' than anyone else. What an odd conclusion.

It's an acknowledgement that it's the last working day before Christmas, everyone would rather be with their family/shopping/in the pub/relaxing and starting their celebrations but have come to work so if the shit doesn't hit the fan, people go home early. But that's not guaranteed because it's not a half day holiday or an official early finish.

SapphireStrange · 20/12/2016 14:26

This, it's not 'odd'; it was perfectly clear what I meant and how I got there from what you said. But OK, I'll rephrase:

'So the message is, if you're willing/able to come in on that day you will get a half-day off, suggesting that you are somehow more deserving of a reward than the staff who have taken it as a holiday.'

Quite simply, the OP should not lose out on holiday time that falls over a period when she couldn't be in the office even if she'd wanted to be.

Thisjustinno · 20/12/2016 14:39

I disagree. It's saying; obviously everyone would prefer to be doing something else the day before/2 days before Christmas but not everyone can take the day off.

So for those that agree to come in, the chance is you'll get to go home early, depending on what arises that day. It's not a guarantee, not a half-day, it's a bonus you may or may not get.

So if you take the risk of maybe having to work the whole day instead of booking it off, you may well be 'rewarded' by getting to go home early. And that 'reward' is only applicable to the people who took the risk and came in when everyone really has other stuff to do/would prefer to be doing.

morningtoncrescent62 · 20/12/2016 14:40

I've been thinking some more about this. I have annual leave booked next year for the period either side of Easter. I've booked nine days' leave to give myself a lovely long holiday. Now, if, say, Thursday 13th turns out to be a very quiet day (as the Thursday before Good Friday often is) and everyone is given the afternoon off as a goodwill gesture, I'd expect that to be made up to me somehow. Either an extra afternoon before my leave starts if the early closure is known about in time, or that afternoon 'not counted' for me as far as AL goes, so that I can book another half day at another time. I'd be pretty miffed if I lost out on the 'goodwill gesture' made to other employees - like Sapphire said, it would make me feel less valued than those who hadn't booked the annual leave. OK, so it's a perk, but any perk that's unfairly distributed does more harm than good.

morningtoncrescent62 · 20/12/2016 14:42

I see the logic, but it doesn't seem to apply in the OP's case, where the closure's already been announced.

SapphireStrange · 20/12/2016 14:48

I see the logic, but it doesn't seem to apply in the OP's case, where the closure's already been announced.

Yes, this.

But more generally, I still really don't see why taking a 'risk' over your holiday should make you more deserving of a bonus.

If the office is closed no one should need to take time out of their holiday allowance. Simple.

I think this is a slippery slope/symptom of playing off staff against each other.

Thisjustinno · 20/12/2016 14:50

And the MD has made it clear it's not an official half-day, it's a goodwill gesture that applies to people working that day and that day only.

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