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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To moan about how work have handled Christmas holidays.

29 replies

Yellowskies1988 · 14/12/2019 07:51

Work as a production operative, nothing glamorous or particularly satisfying. Anyway...
We work shifts. 6-14:00 and 14:00-22:00 This year is the first year that the company is working 14:00-22-00 on Christmas eve, they previously shut down early xmas and new years eve and used 1 holiday entitlement.

Back in may/June we had a draw, anybody who wanted time off for this period filled a form in and was draw out until numbers were full. Totally fair, although I didn't get pulled out I didn't moan.

Anyway over the last 2 weeks or so people have been putting requests in for xmas eve (my shift falls on xmas eve 14:00-22:00) and have been getting the holidays. I think this should have been works out again as to how many spaces can be allocated and re-drawn now that my company knows how many lines it needs to run. You can say well "you could have put a form in again" yes o could but I was under the impression that the first draw was final and if any more spaces were available this process would happen again so it's fair. I refused my proxy microwave xmas dinner. My £15 voucher has gone to charity and my good bag I refused out of principle too yesterday as they haven't shown the staff any Christmas spirit. I dont get why a food packaging facility needs to work this one shift. Its caused alot of upset and frustration. I'm really tempted to use the 48 hours quarantine rule that they insist you stay away of you or a family member is sick.

People will agree/disagree with me but to work until 10pm on xmas eve when the company has made no effort to even offer alternative hours (maybe offer a Saturday to make the time up)
Is disgusting, its basic factory work, basic pay, and it's a huge employer In the area too. Especially how they have handled the holidays post ballot draw.

OP posts:
HappilyHarridan · 14/12/2019 08:21

I don’t entirely understand what’s happened here, have people been requesting holiday for Christmas Eve and getting it approved after a ballot took place to decide who would get holiday that day? If so that sounds very unfair, you could put a complaint in writing and ask for holiday that day too. May not get you anywhere but worth a try.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 14/12/2019 08:25

It's shit that other people are now being allowed it as holiday but maybe they've realised the demand will be lower than anticipated?

Have you used the holiday now? Will you benefit from the day off?
They'll probably let you leave early anyway.
When I've worked in companies who are open Xmas eve it's always been a doss day and a waste of annual leave for anyone who's opted for it off without having plans.

73Sunglasslover · 14/12/2019 08:43

I can see that they might need to open - there may be reasons why Saturday instead won't work. But I can totally see why you're miffed about their communication and handling of the leave requests It is badly done. If they can release more people than they thought, it should have gone back to ballot again if that was the original system. First come, first served is never really that fair.

gamerwidow · 14/12/2019 08:53

They’ve handled it badly and should have done a second ballot for the leave but it’s their right to decide what hours their business is going to be open and a shift until 10pm on Christmas Eve isn’t wildly unreasonable given that you knew about it a long time in advance and could plan round it.
I would complain about the way leave has been allocated. It’s probably too late for this year but they should take it on board for next year.

ForalltheSaints · 14/12/2019 09:28

Unreasonable to have a process that is final and then do something different later on. Do the two people have persuasive powers or are those who cannot plan far ahead?

Original poster
Yellowskies1988 · 14/12/2019 09:58

@HappilyHarridan Yes just to be clear. A ballot took place in April for those who wanted xmas eve off. So many got it. Since then, the last few weeks people have been putting in requests for xmas eve and getting that off... I think a second ballot
should have taken place for those unsuccessful first time and also any new starters... not just accepting request since the ballot in the last few weeks

@GiveHerHellFromUs if they had spaces freed up due to work demand then they have done another ballot though that's my argument .
Everybody has circumstances yes. I dont know other people reading but I have 2 kids. 7 and 5. One is autistic and my with had Huntington's disease. That's my personal situation. If I didn't get the time off in another ballot fine but at least make it fair, I didn't get it last year eitht but we didn't work a shift xmas eve that late.

@Forallthesaints I think they chanced it on the sky, one of them is a employee that I currentlynl training.

I just feel really hard done to about the system I'm really wound up

OP posts:
PantTwizzler · 14/12/2019 10:01

Sorry to hear OP. Sounds very unfair.

Chocolatemouse84 · 14/12/2019 10:03

They have handled it poorly. They should have said 3 weeks ago that if people wanted to book annual leave for Christmas eve, if too many requests were received, it would be names out of a hat or whatever, not based on first come first served.

MrsWhites · 14/12/2019 10:04

I agree with you that it’s very unfair of them to not hold a second ballot. I would definitely raise this with my manager.

What I don’t understand is why you refused your goody bag etc. I know you said it’s out of principle but there are better ways to highlight your issues with the system than this!

Pilot12 · 14/12/2019 10:05

If you want the time off and have holiday left, submit a request. If it's declined make a formal complaint to HR or the appropriate person if you don't have an HR Department. The second allocation was badly done and you should point this out if it's upsetting you that much.

Original poster
Yellowskies1988 · 14/12/2019 10:25

@MrsWhites i refused as the shift coordinator who does the holidays requests was giving them out. I gave my xmas bonus (£15) food voucher to my sons special school and I refused the xmas dinner because its hypocritical to give the dinner when were working late for the first time I've been there (7years)

OP posts:
Nixen · 14/12/2019 10:30

You can’t moan they’ve shown no Christmas spirit and then refuse the dinner, food voucher and goody bag. That’s petty! You realise that’s a lot more than a lot of people get from their employer at Christmas?

Original poster
Yellowskies1988 · 14/12/2019 10:32

Also I raised it with my manager and I was told "what can I do" my manager doesn't handle holiday we have a designated shift co ordinate who does all that.

I really want to complain to HR but also I want to phone in sick, it's not what I do i have a clean slate on my absence record but this it just really winding me up, and before I'm told, I know that that is not the attitude to have. Its just what I feel I've been pushed into

OP posts:
JasonPollack · 14/12/2019 11:50

Just call in sick. Call in the day before too so its believable!

GiveHerHellFromUs · 14/12/2019 12:46

Have existing employees been allowed the day off or is it only newbies? If a new employee has said they want it off before they start that's different.

tensmum1964 · 14/12/2019 12:57

Phone in sick. Keep quiet for now then let them know the day before.They sound like horrible employers.

DeathStare · 14/12/2019 13:00

Are you a Union member? This is exactly the kind of thing your Union will try to address.

gamerwidow · 14/12/2019 13:23

Be careful with regards to phoning in sick. If anyone phones in sick on a day they were declined leave at my work they would be asked to provide a sickness certificate as evidence. I understand the temptation but it is risky.

Rowgtfc72 · 14/12/2019 13:24

Oh god! You dont work in Grimsby do you?Xmas Grin
Also production op in food packaging. As it stands at the minute were just getting Christmas day off. Rumours are were 6-12, 12-6 Christmas eve and new years eve. Working boxing day and new years day. We also get a fifteen pound gift voucher but no meal!
No holidays allowed between dec 20th and jan 4th at all. This year they've relented a bit for those with genuine childcare issues. Office staff get Christmas and new year off.
We've offered to do a ballot for Christmas/new year working but the company said it's easier to just say no to anyone being off.
I'm also perplexed as to why were packing food over Christmas.
Personally I'd phone in sick. If the company aren't playing fair, why should you.

Beccaishere · 14/12/2019 13:30

Op how can they being letting people book holiday off if people are already off from the ballot? Surely there will not be enough staff?

YouretheChristmasCarcass · 14/12/2019 14:14

I agree they handled it badly. At the very least there should have been a formal announcement that more people would be allowed to be off so that everyone who wanted off could put in a request.

I'd be very careful of calling sick, especially if you've been vocal about how they've handled things. At the very least you may be required to bring a doctor's note. Where I worked there were special rules around calling in sick during holidays if leave had had to be restricted.

Original poster
Yellowskies1988 · 14/12/2019 16:39

@GiveHerHellFromUs no this is in regards to employees who are not new and were at the company way before this ballot draw, intact longer than I have worked there.

@Rowgtfc72 no it's not Grimsby were nowhere near there. But your workplace sounds worse than mine

I'm prepared to self certify for the week. Even 2 I'm not too bothered my doctor will clarify this given my personal situation at home.

@Beccaishere I assume they have had the next few months workload and seen that certain lines dont need to be used.

OP posts:
emilybrontescorsett · 15/12/2019 09:48

The company have handled Christmas leave very badly indeed.
I am also of the opinion that people should be allowed off at Christmas as well, the world will not stop turning if the shops are shut for 2 days.
Hell I'm old enough to remember when virtually everything closed for Christmas and guess what? We had a great time spending it making memories.

Original poster
Yellowskies1988 · 15/12/2019 21:56

Yeah I'm going to speak to my shift manager tomorrow it's really wound me up. I will speak to my union rep too and also HR but I doubt that will go well as the person who gives out the holidays is married to a member of HR

OP posts:
Rowgtfc72 · 20/12/2019 04:52

How did you get on at work?
We've had our holidays confirmed as six hr shifts xmas eve and boxing day. We know we'll do six and the next shift will only actually work four. We also know quite a few people have Christmas eve off even though there's a blanket ban on holidays.
Every bloody year!
Hope your chat with hr went better.