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AIBU?

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Original poster

Christmas Annual Leave

90 replies

UnFairPolicy · 18/12/2018 15:08

I work in an office, normal 9-5:30 jobby

We have to book annual leave for Christmas so I have booked Christmas Eve and in doing so have to use 7.5hours of my annual leave for the full day

It was announced today that our offices will be allowed to close at 3pm on Christmas Eve so I asked whether I still needed to use 7.5 hours of leave or whether I only needed to book 5. I was advised that I still need to take the full 7.5

AIBU to think that's quite unfair? No one is now going to be working the full 7.5 hours and if I cancelled my leave and re-booked it to finish at, say, 12:30 I would only need to book 2.5 hours of leave...

Opinions please Xmas Smile

OP posts:
billybagpuss · 18/12/2018 15:41

Think of it as lesson learned. Its fairly standard in most offices and as a general rule if its not customer facing very little is ever actually achieved on Christmas Eve, its a fun day to work. I long ago stopped trying to use this day as holiday, but still need to remind DH every year that its a stupid day to book off.

The only good reason for not working is you don't have to cope with all the idiot drivers on the road.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 18/12/2018 15:41

Our office does this, however it's never guaranteed and some years we finish at 2pm, other years it might not be until nearer 4pm.

Our does this. I've booked the whole day off of the 24th (we book in days/half days) and it grates a little bit but last year we didn't finish until 4pm when I was working, which also grated.

I have no doubt they'll finish very early this year!

OopsInamechangedagain · 18/12/2018 15:42

Standard where I've worked too. It wouldn't be fair for someone to be able to take an entire day off whilst only using 5 hours holiday just because that day's annual leave happened to be Christmas Eve, whilst someone else has to use 7.5 hours on another day because Christmas Eve annual leave is all booked up.

LL83 · 18/12/2018 15:43

We do this at my work. It's a treat for the people who haven't been able to get Christmas eve off as it is likely there is a high demand for it.

soberexpat · 18/12/2018 15:43

In over 30 years of work this has been the policy everywhere I've worked. After a few years I realized it was better to work Christmas Eve and get a half day off without it coming off my annual leave!

Blacktoffeecat · 18/12/2018 15:46

Self employed so doesn’t affect me but DH always works Christmas Eve (from home) so he doesn’t have to put in a full day AL when he will be able to log off at lunchtime.
I agree it isn’t fair- they should just say Christmas Eve is a half day.

Ilikeknitting · 18/12/2018 15:46

You’re taking the whole day off, just enjoy the day. Stop nitpicking over a couple of hours.

chocatoo · 18/12/2018 15:47

Annoys me every year - the people who have the most to do to make Christmas happen (i.e. hosting guests, cooking, etc) have to take xmas eve off to get prepped. Those who can afford the time to go in on xmas eve, probably because all they have to do is roll out of bed on xmas morning and turn up at someone else's house, get rewarded with a free half day of vacation

MutedUser · 18/12/2018 15:48

Pretty standard I’m afraid . We work half days Friday but when I book a week off it isn’t 4.5 days holidays it’s 5 days

tryinganewname · 18/12/2018 15:48

Pretty much standard practice wherever I've worked (that's not flexible working like where I am now, I'd be surprised if there's a single person in the office xmas eve).

I'd rather have the full day off than quibble about 2.5 hours.

PerditaMacleod · 18/12/2018 15:49

That's how it works in my office. You need to take the full day off if you don't want to come in on Christmas eve, although we've already been told that work will finish at 12 and as it's a Monday we can all work from home anyway.

CluedoAddict · 18/12/2018 15:49

Totally normal. My husband works half day every Friday. They make them take a whole day if they take annual leave.

Magmatic80 · 18/12/2018 15:50

Same here. As pp said, it’s a perk for having to work a day when you’d rather be off. 28th is a normal working day, and frankly quite dull to be at home

19lottie82 · 18/12/2018 15:51

Pretty standard for similar situations where ever I have worked. It’s to stop everyone wanting to take the day off.

RB68 · 18/12/2018 15:51

yeah this was always a bug bear for me on Christmas Eve as well especially when I had a long commute

Bluetrews25 · 18/12/2018 15:51

You are able to book and take leave at Christmas? Are such jobs real?
Grin Hmm Confused

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 18/12/2018 15:52

This happens where I am too. If you take the day; you have to take a whole day, but if you work it they sometimes let people go home early. It's been 11am or lunchtime for a few years; but on occasion it's not and at least some people are around until 5/6pm, so I suppose that's the risk of not taking it off!

You're exchanging a days holiday for a day where you definitely don't need to be in the office.

MillicentBeauchamp · 18/12/2018 15:52

YABU. We have "summer fridays" - but if we decide to take Friday off, we have to take the full day off.

Crazyladee · 18/12/2018 15:55

It was standard in my place of work. Nobody booked Xmas Eve off as it was a waste as every year the Managing Director used to let us all go home at lunchtime. Even though at the run up to Xmas we were told that there would be no early finish, he used to like to play mind games with us sit in his office and announce that "everyone can now go home!" He used to enjoy us all waiting and anticipating it.

Can you cancel your annual leave request for Xmas eve and go in the morning and save a days annual leave and have an early finish?

Hollywhiskey · 18/12/2018 16:01

Haha do you work at the same company as me? It’s a Christmas present for staff choosing to work on Christmas Eve. It’s not part of anyone’s contract and isn’t an entitlement so YABU.
My husband’s company does something similar where they finish at 4 before a bank holiday weekend - if you’re not in then you don’t get the treat.
Same applies to dress down Fridays, dress down last week of December, cakes/other food we get given, and the bottle of wine/chicks we get for Christmas/Easter etc. It’s a gift and no one is obliged to give it to you.

DragonMamma · 18/12/2018 16:03

Most places I’ve done have also had this in place. I don’t begrudge people finishing a couple of hours earlier - I was only too grateful people offered to work so I could take leave.

missbattenburg · 18/12/2018 16:04

Yep, this has always been standard practice wherever I've worked; you book the whole day, even if others are allowed to leave early.

Those that work Xmas Eve deserve to finish early, imo. You are not losing anything as you still get a day off for a day's leave. They are gaining something - and deserve to. Complaining always struck me as begrudging those that were working their early finish.

NKFell · 18/12/2018 16:05

YABU but I completely see where you're coming from.

It's like others have said, it's a treat/perk for those who are going in.

CIT80 · 18/12/2018 16:07

You can’t have the penny and the bun

Vanillaradio · 18/12/2018 16:09

This happens every year in our office. It's the reason why I mostly work Christmas Eve as I know at some point management will come and tell us to go home! Actual time they do this varies between 12 and 3ish though.Those who take annual leave have to take the whole day because it's not an official thing, just at management discretion and doesn't even apply to everyone (some people can't go till they have finished what they are doing due to nature of the work.) I guess we all just accept it works that way.

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