To think that working Christmas 'for show' is ridiculous?

[blackcats76]

I work in retail, but the division of the company that I work in shuts down over Christmas meaning that there is no work to be completed and you have to essentially make up things to do. Despite this, I've been told I have to come in 'for show' on the 24th and 27th - not sure for who, because, of course, all the directors and managers will be off all of Christmas! AIBU to complain about this?

Ha that's not working Christmas at all!!!

I'm scheduled to work Xmas eve 4-10pm Xmas day 7-2 and 4-10 and Boxing Day 7-2. I was savvy and booked Xmas eve and Xmas day off this year but working nye and day and Boxing Day!
Last year I worked all five of those days.

Xmas eve and 27th are normal working days for most. YABU!!

You win purpledaisies

If there is genuinely nothing to do (& I find that hard to believe) then you should have a discussion with your line manager about your workload .... maybe your job isn’t necessary any more and you will be made redundant.

It’s a completely separate issue that you are not allowed to take leave as parents get priority- you should take that up with HR.

My DH has the opposite issue, he is forced to take the time between Christmas and New Year and would much rather be working, he does actually use the the time to WFH but it still counts as annual leave.

Offer Christmas wrapping service for the colleagues with kids. They drop then off on the 23rd and you give them back wrapped on the 24th.?

Why is the op suddenly responsible for everyone else’s children?

Not that I have a problem with them getting priority for their kids

You’re a better person than me then. I’d be kicking up merry hell, esp since it’s not Christmas day we’re talking about.

I get you OP, it’s shit. Many years (20+) ago I worked in life insurance/pensions. As I had joined the company in October, the maximum amount of people allowed to be off had been filled ages before. I had to be in between Christmas and New Year, along with another unlucky 4/5 who’d joined at the same time as me. Our job was processing applications and putting them onto the system once they had been underwritten....only there was only 1 underwriter in each day so as soon as anything was put on the system it was grabbed as we had absolutely nothing to do. Before the days of the internet as it is now, so no online shopping/reading and as we were only allowed one drawer and only managers had access to stationary, nothing to clear out. Couldn’t even leave early as we were on flexi and it would have made a big dent in my hours.

It’s also at this time of year when rail engineering is often done or they run to a slightly reduced timetable which can make getting to work a bit more difficult.

I did hate it when I worked in education though and HAD to use six days of a/l (on average) over Christmas. In fact, before I left I had asked to go term time only, as I only got 14 days to use as I pleased as full time staff.

I’m now in front line customer service and happily and coincidentally, it’s my 4-day weekend starting the day after Boxing Day, otherwise I’d be in as normal.

To add - I don’t mind if I had been in now as it is an expectation that I work shifts including weekends/bank holidays etc. And I knew that and prefer it TBH. It does seem pointless for some but I guess staff and employers can’t really win.

Take a duvet and pillow with you and have a snooze 😴

To be fair OP if it's a case that EVERY year you have to work but others don't 'because they have kids' , that's not on. I'd have a word and book next year now, and in your leave application state that you've worked this year and the last X years and you don't appreciate being discriminated against because you don't have kids, you still have a life and your leave request is no less important than others. Whoever got it off this year should be working it next year.

But for this year the Rota is already done so you're going to have to suck it up.

We have several divisions at my large corporation that close from Christmas to New Years. People can choose to still come
To work in those divisions, but most book annual leave and it is approved for all. That’s why they close the division in the first place.

You aren't “working Christmas”

YANBU. Either you get the time off or not, no-one should be having to come in "for show".

If someone wants to show solidarity with the retail staff, it should be senior staff. They shouldn't be granting themselves holiday then asking junior people to come in "for show".

I can kind of see your point if there's no actual work, but to be honest you sound quite lucky to be in that position.

I work for the NHS, in a large teaching hospital. I'm one of several having to work Christmas Day this year, and others are on New Years Day, Boxing Day, and the 5 x 12.5 hour night shifts on either side of the bank holidays (8pm to 8:30 am). The non bank holidays (24th, 27th etc) are just normal working days.

There's never a time when the work's slow either as although there are fewer patients in hospital, they are the sickest ones and need the most care, and we're operating with a skeleton staff.

So - make the most of it, and enjoy your Christmas knowing that if you get ill, or for that matter have a fire, or get burgled someone will be there.

Can you work from home? If so that’s what I would do.

Grumpy, I don’t think she has any actual work to do at the office so at home wouldn’t work. OP, you’re being paid to do nothing, I’d take the opportunity to chill (it is ridiculous though I agree).

If it’s just for show then work from home is acceptable. She shouldn’t have to go into the office

I’ve always volunteered to do these days for that reason, there’s nothing to do, you get to go home early, eat mince pies, chat and still get paid.

Okay so the actual problem is that you were unable to get annual leave and you you never get it around Christmas because they put priority of employees that have children.

Yeah, I'm work around Christmas cause they are normal working days. There is nothing to be upset about. But if you apply them to be days off and not getting them cause parents are a priority then that is bullshit and you should complain to the HR

This is one of the reasons I wanted to leave retail, only ever had 25 December off so never had the chance to go home (my family is not in the UK).

I now work somewhere where my last working day will be 20th December and I wont be back until 2nd January. For this time off I am using one day of my annual leave and the rest of the days work is closed anyways and we all get paid for it.

Since I left retail I have been able to go back home every other Christmas (we alternate). Best decision I ever made. Money is much better too.

OP, it's not unusual to have at least one person in.

The problem here is that you never get annual leave between christmas and new year, because you have kids. That's the issue.

That's not ok. I have kids and I have always done my fair share. That's really not ok.

Eurgh so disappointed to read that you don't ever get the time off because people with children feel entitled to it. I have children, and before I did I'd often swap my leave for people with them as I wasn't arsed about Christmas; but the difference is I had a choice in the matter, if I was forbidden I would have been angry.

We have the same on the 24th. there is nothing to do, all deadlines are for the friday before (that includes office clean up etc). nothing new can be started. we literally just sit around and drink coffee. Fairly annoying considering most people have at least 1 hour commute - its basically the managers showing they can make people come in

In a retail company, office staff worked those days because the company felt it was better for the morale of the retail workers who were working. There's always a reason, look at the bigger picture.

Imagine the boost to morale if the bosses worked on those days in the office “for show”

If they want to send a message to staff, that would surely be much better than just having the OP there, doing nothing. That’s hardly a morale boost.