Unfair?

[Poopin]

Will keep it short.

Work close our office between Christmas and New Year, you could not work if you wanted to because it is literally closed.

However, we have to use our holidays for the period in between.

So we get the standard number of days but can't use a certain number of them because they are set aside for Christmas when work isn't even open. It depends when it falls as well as to how many we're not allowed to use.

Same here, we have 28 days on the system but 3 are 'greyed' out for the same period. Doesn't bother me in the slightest

It doesn't feel like its very fair but its pretty normal practice. Many other professions have set holidays too.

It doesn't bother me tbh as I'd use them to book Christmas off anyway 😂 but a few colleagues regularly getting annoyed about it every year as they'd rather the option to take them elsewhere in the year and work in between.

No. I've worked in places with the same policy. I never thought it was unfair.

Better than fighting over who’s working and who’s not!

Yeah same here, a few people moan occasionally but most people just get on with it. My place are very careful with things like that, wouldn't be done if it wasn't allowed.

I’m the same. Have to take the days between Christmas and new year.

I think thats fairly normal.

@TheresNothingIWantMore

Yeah same here, a few people moan occasionally but most people just get on with it. My place are very careful with things like that, wouldn't be done if it wasn't allowed.

Yes I'm sure it is allowed, I don't doubt that.

As I say I'm not bothered as I like having Christmas off anyway but a few people regularly complain about it every year because they would rather be given the option of working and taking them elsewhere.

My husbands industry closes down and does the same. Lots factories close for xmas period

This is quite standard in a lot of places I’ve worked.

One year I “worked” two days between Christmas and New Year, and sat in front of the TV for two days, there was just nothing to do. It seemed such a pisstake.

Yep. The Christmas break through to new year used about 8 days of my leave every year.

Employers have the right to insist employees take holidays at certain times. For instance, if they want you to take 7 days leave in July, they simply need to give you 14 days notice of this (double the notice per days they want you to take).

So, they have every right to insists that all employees use these 3 days - and they are giving you a full years notice of it which is far more than they have to. They do so, so that its off your allowance and cant "accidentally" be used elsewhere.

The office is closed because they know they insist that all staff use these days, so why would the office be open?

The majority of us (in the UK, at least) are very lucky that we get to pick and choose what holidays we take. Many professions get every single leave day assigned to them and have no wiggle room except shift swapping with others. So, I certainly wouldn't complain about getting a solid amount of time off every single Christmas.

Same in my workplace.

It's standard practice if a business closes during this time.

My currently company does this.

It's actually much easier than being open and finding everyone wants the same three days off.

Organising cover every year was hell - believe me!

This is completely normal. And in other kinds of workplaces too. Teachers, for example, can only take their holidays within certain weeks of the year.

I had one job - private sector - which did that and one which let you have the time they closed for free - public sector. Obviously feels fairer if they don’t make you use annual leave if you couldn’t choose to work anyway.

Never mind christmas I worked somewhere that they dictated every day of holiday you could use. It was a factory and they had shutdowns so the holidays were fixed.

It's fairly normal, and legally I believe your employer can dictate all of your holiday days if they wish.

a few people regularly complain about it every year because they would rather be given the option of working and taking them elsewhere.

They all have the option to do that, by leaving and finding another job that suits them better.

I used to work somewhere where you had to have 10 of your days for the Christmas break (school) - we had a slight increase in holiday allowance, but it was stated in contract that you had to take this time as part of your holiday allowance.

Suits me.....I need a proper break by then!

Same for us, because the factory closes and so there is no work. How can people expect to be able to choose to work when there is no work to do?!

How can people expect to be able to choose to work when there is no work to do?!

I think it's a bit different in our sector because lots of places do open between Christmas and New Year so if they chose to open, there would definitely still be work to do.

I've worked in multiple places doing the same job and a lot of them worked between Christmas and New Year, only this place and one other closed in between.

Like I say, suits me because I like having Christmas off but people do complain about it.