To think this is discrimination

[Hiptrip]

I work in a 365 days a year industry. My colleagues and I, have to provide cover over Christmas.

As I worked over Christmas and New Year last year, I booked and was promised this year off. I have this in writing.

Two colleagues have announced that they can't get childcare, and now management have come back to me and said I have to work. (Single, no kids was planning to have fun with friends and family. Shouldn't have mentioned it in my break at work.)

I have now received a written directive that my leave is cancelled, with the threat of disciplinary if I don't turn up.

No unions here, but what are my chances of claiming constructive dismissal if I don't go to work?

We are a team of twelve and those with families, who are rostered to work have a month to sort themselves out, as does everyone else. Why should it be me that has to come in the whole time, along with our unfortunate manager who has no choice because she is in charge?

Sorry but 'can't find childcare on Christmas day' when the world and his dog is off. You can bet every member of their family from DP, to PIL are off so unless they come from families where every single one is a Dr Midwife or Fireman they are talking rubbish.

Purpledaisies I was just suggesting a little kindness. I do think it is more important for parents to be with their children on Christmas day than people hanging out with their friends. I am not talking about rights but being nice when you do not have to be.
Your mums absence may not have had an impact on you but my fathers absence on Christmas day had an impact on me, we all react to things in different ways.

Cats Bollocks. She was considerate last year. Please explain why PARENTS have more right to Christmas Day off than non-parents?

And do NOT say one day she'll have her own children (which I've seen trotted out on these sorts of threads before) because that too could be bollocks. It's totally irrelevant.

It shouldn’t even be that-if the op wanted to sit at home in her pants and get pissed she should be allowed the time off because ranking people’s private lives on whose family is more important is out of order

True. But I think, if that were my plan, I'd be quite happy to be flexible to those (with and without children) who had plans with others. Because I could just as easily next a different random weekday off to sit at home and get pissed. But for people with plans that involve other people it's that day or miss out.

purpledaisies I was just suggesting a little kindness.

So it’s kind to guilt trip people who can’t have children into covering for those who can? It’s right to imply only those people with kids have a private life that matters?

It is not fair but you could be kind and think that it is nice that one of your colleagues will now be able to spend the day with their children.

I’m sorry but I disagree. DP has worked many Christmas Days, why do we matter more just because we have kids? Aye it’s shite not having him home at Christmas, but it isn’t fair to expect other people to pick up the slack from our decisions.

@billybagpuss a lot of people don’t have families that are involved. I wouldn’t send my child to someone they weren’t familiar with staying on Christmas Day.

I don’t see why you have to work both though OP, it’s standard in most places to work one or the other.

ShatnersWig

Because as adults, we can see our family and have a nice time any day. Christmas is magical for kids and they’re only kids for a short time of their lives.

I love Christmas and while I didn’t ever want to work it, I would’ve done and have worked Christmas holidays so those kids will have their parents with them on Christmas.

It’s just being kind.

True So what about kindness for the OP? Or a single person who has an elderly parent or grandparent who is ill and this might be their last Christmas?

Sorry, it's just bollocks and I wish they would bring in legislation to stop this sort of thing. We don't allow discrimination on grounds of gender, race, age, religion but it's perfectly OK to discriminate against non-parents in the workplace.

TBH, I don't blame your colleagues, I have a DD and there's no way I'd miss Christmas with her. My children and their happiness come first.

I hope you don’t work in an industry where people need to work Christmas then cae.

‘If you can't find childcare for certain times of the year, don't work in an industry where you may have to work on public holidays.’

You lost any sympathy I may have had for you with this statement. I’m a professional, working ina 365 day a year job and have done for nearly 25 years. When I had no kids, I gladly worked to allow colleagues to spend it with their kids. When my abusive husband finally left after I discovered his affair, I absolutely struggled for childcare at Christmas. You suggest that I should have given up my career? But luckily I worked with decent people who cut me some slack. And guess what? Now my kids are older I return the favour and working Christmas is no issue.
It’s ONE day.

But Cae that's so selfish! What about other adults, other children and their happiness?

If you can't find childcare for certain times of the year, don't work in an industry where you may have to work on public holidays.

If spending time getting pissed up with friends and family is so important to you, don’t work in an industry where you might have to work public holidays. If a company decides they want to be more accommodating to families, that’s their prerogative. You have the choice to work somewhere which doesn’t give a crap about people with families.

I wouldn't not just turn up. I would give them advance warning that I'm not going to turn up and then face the consequences. I bet they don't let fire you - unless it's ridiculously easy to replace you.

These colleagues that want time off to be with their family must surely have someone to ask.
Possibly the other parent/Grandparent.
It is totally unfair on op
No wonder childless / child free women / couples feel like shit!

If spending time getting pissed up with friends and family is so important to you, don’t work in an industry where you might have to work public holidays.

Because that’s all peopldcworhout children do with their Christmas time off? What an utterly pathetic comment.

So I shouldn't have been a Nurse as a single parent then? Do you have any idea how many single parents work in the NHS? perhaps they should all hand their notice in tomorrow and leave the NHS in an even more shit state than it already is.

And my only family live 200 miles away, so no I couldn't just pop them round to Auntie for Christmas day!

Geg
So op’S Christmas isn’t important?
Why do the needs of you and your children trump hers?
I say that as a woman with three children.

What's keeping you from announcing that you can't get childcare either.

I’ve worked in my industry from before I had kids. I always worked Christmas. And will again once my youngest stops believing. It’s a short period of time people use the ‘kids’ card and I always work new year, Boxing Day, xmas eve or even the night shifts to pull my weight.

That's exactly what I am going to do Whinesalot. Ive actually paid a substantial deposit to do something with some friends on one of the days over the Christmas period, and I am not going to lose it.

I agree about the airline tickets - what if you had booked a break abroad. I presume they knew you hadn't from what you said at breaktimes being passed on - how bloody annoying.

Honestly I would be furious and would certainly book the time off next year and say I had booked air tickets - see what they do then.

Not much help, sorry, just cross on your behalf

Kindness is a two-way street. We all know there are jobs where working on Christmas Day is required. This is where good management comes into play. As far as is possible, if you work Christmas one year, you don't work it the next. That isn't ALWAYS possible but you aim for that. You certainly don't do what this firm has done to the OP, give her an assurance in writing and then withdraw it solely so the same people who were off Christmas last year get it again this year.

THe needs of a child will ALWAYS trumpthe needs of an adult. One of the most basic premises of a civilised society. Or so I used to think.....