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?

Cats There’s usually a type who mains about “their rights!” with this type of thing. I’m generalising of course, but in my experience, it’s true.

I know just the type of person you mean. However, on this thread you are the one I'd assume was that type! Clearly I'm wrong.

I’m certainly glad I’m from a culture that prioritises family.

No; you prioritise people with children. Childless people have families too. I'd have thought a culture that prioritises family would be extra nice to those who aren't blessed enough to have children of their own.

Minerva and that’s worse than an upset child? I understand it must be lonely, and I don’t think anyone here has said every childless person should work every Christmas.

All I and some others said was that most adults can arrange it on a different day whereas for kids, it’s special and it’s nice to let them see their parents.

I have three kids. Bring on the childfree spaces! Yay! And the childfree restaurants and pubs and cafes!

Cats, you live in this culture now. Deal with it. Or go back to this magical culture where you live where no one needs to earn a living if it interferes with their John Lewis advert lives.

I may have been projecting there, however, I’m sick of this attitude of adults not taking responsibility and not being considerate. If we were all kinder, the world would be a better place. I don’t think any of our wants re Christmas should come above a child’s

I worked in a 24hr/365 day a year job for a number of years. I'm certain that telling my employers this and saying I couldn't work Christmas would not have gone over well. We took turns working on Christmas, regardless of whether or not we had children. I always offered to work New Year's Eve or New Year's Day as it wasn't a big deal to us. My children grew up understanding that we celebrated Christmas as a family around my work schedule as that was simply the way it was. They had no issues with it. I never moaned about not being home on Christmas morning - we simply had Christmas evening instead. And I was single parent - they stayed with grandparents or aunt/uncles while I was at work (as we were lucky enough to have them nearby and willing to have the children for the day). We are massively a Christmas-aholic family but it still worked just fine for us.

It's not an issue now as I no longer work in that particular job.

Children’s needs come above adults

Needs are different to wants though

Children need food and a roof over their head

If someone has been granted leave and made plans and will be out of pocket as a result then the situation isn’t fair.

Follow it up with your work, provide the evidence that it was granted and proof of why it was cancelled

Think the manager should take a turn at working xmas

Miss

No one is insulting those who haven’t been lucky enough to have kids. Trust me, that’s not my intention and if you took that from my posts, then I’m sorry.

So someone who never has children (by choice or circumstance) should just work every Christmas of their working life as generation after generation of colleagues have children? Bollocks to that.

Christmas is a time for family. I'm currently expecting the first grandchild on my side, and much as I'm looking forward to Christmas with my baby next year, I'll also miss our adult Christmasses. No tantrums, over stimulated toddlers, just 8 adults having fun. That's magic too you know.

Cats It's NOT just about the OP though. It's about ANYONE who is treated unfairly over the fact they don't have kids and those of us who have suffered from it year after year, and the constant covering for colleagues who have to go to the doctor, can't come to work because child is ill, need time off for the school play, parents meetings, whatever, who never make up the time, never do anything in return, workplaces who don't hire in temps but expect other staff to just pick up the work from the person on maternity leave for no additional pay of thanks have quite frankly had enough of being treated like second class citizens by poor managers and employers and parents like you who think you are more important than we are.

What ANYONE chooses to do with their Christmas is up to them. The OP might be in serious need of that holiday over Christmas having worked excessive hours due to making up for the person on maternity for all you know. Or they are going on holiday with their best friend whose mum has just died. You have no idea.

Upset kids?
Explain to them in a suitable way that mum has to work.
There is plenty of time to plan for that if rotas are sorted this far ahead?

Either move Christmas Day to another day. Like my friends family used to do.

Or save the most important bits for when the working parent returns.

But someone else's 'upset child' is again. No one else's problem but their own.

Do each of the children of the women who are refusing to work as they dont have childcare really not have a father? I could understand one of the fathers being completely absent but all of them? Really? I dont buy it. It sounds much more like they dont want to work than cant.

And as for both parents - many children have parents that are separated or divorced. They may not see both their parents on Christmas day and they survive. Mine do.

All I and some others said was that most adults can arrange it on a different day whereas for kids, it’s special and it’s nice to let them see their parents.

And they do! Here's a newsflash: even people who work on Christmas are not there the whole 24 hours (unless they are in the Forces or similar). Yes! And even when this happens, because the parent is in such a profession, they still live and thrive! Because Christmas is just one day. That's all it is! Poor non-Christian children, however do they live with no magical day? Our corner shop is open. The people who run it are Hindus. Their teen kids even work in there. I'm surprised they haven't been permanently damaged.

No one is insulting those who haven’t been lucky enough to have kids.

It is insulting to imply (as you have consistently done) that their family isn’t a proper one worthy of being considered important because it doesn’t include children.

Do employer have to refund the deposit? They might re-think if so.

Yes, Cats, I do think an adult being on their own is worse than a child being without one parent on Xmas.

My dad was the one who organised Xmas for us yet he usually worked on Xmas. I don't think he should have been home with us while another adult was on their own.

that’s worse than an upset child?

You're all fucking heart, Cats.

Children’s needs come above adults.

That makes absolutely no sense in this context. Unless the workers in question are single parents with no local family, the child does not need that parent at home for the whole day. The hours could be 6-2, which gives plenty of time to still Do Christmas. The hours could be 12-8pm which again, still gives plenty of time to Do Christmas in the morning.

Your posts are really actually weakening your argument, something to consider.

A child may want to celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December.

Sometimes they can't.
They might get upset. This would be a key moment in not creating a special snowflake and explaining that while it's fine to be upset sometimes you don't get what you want. And that the day will still be as magical on the 24th, 26th. On the 27th even!

The die hard belief that children should be paramount in ever scenario and heaven forbid they be caused any upset is a really good insight into why some of this generation have become such spoilt entitled snowflakes who can't cope with upset.

Check your parenting.

If the children are so young they would be super-upset, Christmas can be shifted. We used to do this when I was little. They won't realise. We also celebrated a 3rd birthday on the "wrong" day because someone important was missing.

It's not like the working parent will be locked away for a week, they are back for dinner/ breakfast/ lunch depending on their shift.

X post with Taylor22. They really don't realise if young enough and can be told why if old enough.

That’s absolute bullshit OP.

Yes they can legally cancel leave but it’s fucking shitty in terms of good employee relations. I’d put in a grievance stating you had already made plans on the strength of having your leave authorised and also that this is unfair.

A bit cynical about the people with “no childcare” as well. No family members who can look after the child? I know not everyone of course but most people have plenty of family around at Christmas

So, cats, a poster pointed out to you her years of fertility treatment and that she has no children. Yet you're the one sitting there in floods of tears?

YANBU! You need to kick up a fuss it's just not fair,! If it gets as far as disciplinary action then so be it you are not in the wrong! Disgraceful way to treat staff

And Cats has managed to post very coherently for someone in floods of tears