To feel utterly depressed and fed up and consider calling in sick to give myself a Christmas break?

[BoBo16]

Started a new job early this year.

The shift pattern was hard in the first place (often 1 day off in 10 etc) but the Christmas rota has been horrendous.

I had to work the whole week before Christmas with just Christmas Eve off - I then worked Christmas Day, Boxing Day and I'm working today so that's every single bank holiday. I'm off tomorrow but then I'm working Thursday, Friday and Saturday with just New Year's Day off. I'm then back for the bank holiday Monday (surprise sunrise) and off Tuesday. I'm then back the rest of the week until the weekend of 7/8th Jan.

I have had no Christmas holiday at all. I've not even had two days off together. I've not seen my husband really or my kids. I'm exhausted. I'm fed up. I feel physically sick at the thought of going in for three more days on the trot. I feel victimised with the rota (nobody else's is as bad as mine, a few people have admitted this) and I feel utterly fucked off.

I'm so tired. WIBU to ring in sick on Thursday and Friday to give myself some time off and a rest? I'm handing in my notice this week also.

[Nibledbyducks]

DS1 worked 11 hours as a community carer on christmas day, he didn't miss anything at home.....We're Pagan so already had our meal, are parents from religions other than Christianity allowed to work Christmas?, or are they not allowed along with all the other biologically female parents?

[nocoolnamesleft]

You would be very unreasonable (as you have clearly realised) to pull a sickie, as when HCPs are off sick, it isn't just their colleagues who are shafted, but patient care can be less safe. You are not unreasonable to complain about your roster. Is this because you had only just joined the team, and everyone else had already put in their off duty requests months earlier? Ours tend to even out over years, so last year I got totally and utterly shafted (worked all of Xmas, then on nights for new year, also on for Easter weekend...basically every BH), this year I have the nicest run, because if the recognition that last year was unfair. But if you're leaving so soon, it probably won't ever even out.

Oh, hang on, am I qualified to comment on here? (Working in the NHS for 19 years, treating exclusively kids for the last 18)

[Babyroobs]

I generally have to work every other Christmas day. I didn't make any difference when I had 4 young kids. If I was working Christmas day the kids just had pizza and we had our Christmas dinner on Boxing day instead. It has never been a huge issue, it's just part of the job.

[Devilishpyjamas]

My mum was a district nurse and often worked Christmas Day. It was such a non-issue I am laughing at the idea it could be so terrible.

God how shallow can you get?

[Babyroobs]

YABU . It will make it harder for your colleagues and if it is care work then patients/ clients might suffer. I am a Nurse and had reasonably good Christmas off duty this year but have ended up doing extra night shifts as half my team are genuinely sick with flu and patients will not get good care if someone doesn't cover. Get through Christmas then take up the issues with your boss. It has always been the case for me that when I've started a new job I've had rubbish shifts over Christmas and been expected to work the night of the ward Christmas meal etc.

[MerylPeril]

OP are others getting 2 days off together?
If so it's very unfair.

[dingdongthewitchishere]

Lesmacarons

I would love to know what fascinating career you have in real life, and how you get on with your children (and more importantly son and daughers-in-law) if you really have any in real life.

[QueenMortificado]

This thread has really kept me entertained

[ChestyNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire]

Les has clearly been at the gin. I've never heard such bunkum. Comedy gold

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Wanders in to thread, Raises eyebrows, shakes head

There is a hell of a lot more to being a good parent than being there every Christmas morning.

[WellKnackered]

I don't think anyone should take a day off unles they are actually sick and the OP has done the right thing by deciding to go in. However she should have a big moan about it. Maybe it would be best to put it in writing.

Currently women have significantly more sick days than men and the levels of sick leave taken by NHS staff is more than twice that of private sector. There is plenty of information online if anyone wants to google but HERE is an article from the Telegraph about the 'soaring rates of stress leave in the NHS. Apparently at any one time 4.4% of NHS staff are on sick leave.

[LiviaDrusillaAugusta]

Les I don't usually AS but given that you have spent two days sobbing about a pube, do you think you should step the fuck away from the internet and get some help?

[SoupDragon]

A few years ago this place appeared to have some sparky posting mums

No, there were some sparky posters. You have no idea whether they weremotgers, fathers or neither.

[Dulcimena]

ITA hobnob.

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

Having read Some of Les other posts today I am begining to think she may not be ok and might be better stepping away from here.

[MsHooliesCardigan]

Les I have held off doing this for 8 years but have my first

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

You realise that many parents hate the sound of some-one else's screaming baby, and equally there are childless people who don't mind/don't notice it, lesmacarons?

Your arguments are fatally undermined by your tendency to take one example and extrapolate it to include a whole group - i.e. a man was on MN trying to find a date, so all men must be here to perve, or one poster on another thread says they don't want a hotel room near a screaming child, so all childless people hate screaming children.

You are also very narrow minded if you cannot see the value that everyone brings to MN, regardless of whether they have children, and equally narrow minded if you cannot understand why anyone might enjoy the intelligent and humorous discussion of many and varied topics (including, but not limited to parenthood/children) on here. MN has an infertility topic that provides invaluable support to people wit primary infertility, who will, by definition, be childless - who you would cut off from this support.

There is a mental health board, and a disabilities and special needs one - people without children can suffer from these, and can both give and receive tremendous support here - as I know, from my personal experience of the support given to me when my depression has been particularly bad.

There are plenty of other, less serious topics and boards where you don't need a child in order to contribute and get something out - Style and Beauty, Property, the Pet boards, Weightloss, Film and TV, Feminism, Fun and Games, Sports - I could go on.

[Dulcimena]

Les I am sorry that things are difficult for you at the moment. I'm not going to explain what I posted because I think it was quite clear, but I'm sorry you've chosen to see it as an attack. I hope things improve for you.

[ilovesooty]

Well I can see who's been deleted anyway.

I very much doubt that speaking out in support of workplace equality of opportunity is deemed bullying.

[zeezeek]

Unless specifically mentioned, how do you actually know that a poster is male, female, parent or non-parent?

[Lesmacarons]

If they don't include 'not bullying' or posting derogatory statements about the state of being a parent or a child on a forum called 'Mumsnet' - I really don't care...

[Lelloteddy]

Comedy gold. Les have you cracked open the eggnog again?

[ilovesooty]

I can only see one person persistently breaching the talk guidelines here.

[Lesmacarons]

Dulcimena - you just accused me of writing something you know I didn't write, but I was actually complaining about other people doing. That is not a discussion - that is a very old bullying tactic.

I'm going.

[PurpleDaisies]

People who don't agree with you are trolls?

Look at other threads on the same subject. People just don't think parents should have priority for Christmas off. That includes parents.