Annual leave at Christmas

[Miamarshmallows]

If you work/had a job, how much time did you take off at Christmas?
My friend posted on Facebook just now with 'Imagine having this Friday off until the 4th Jan, how funny is that?" and everyone responded with laughing emojis. I'm guessing because it's a rarity to have 2 weeks off for Christmas? Except it isn't. I know many colleagues spread their leave out but I always had 2 weeks off at Christmas. Just wondered if I was in the minority?! Obviously it's different for keyworkers etc.

I’m a key worker but only part time, I’m only taking one day off (Christmas Day) because of how my shifts land, I don’t have to work from Christmas Eve until the bank holiday Monday. I don’t get paid any leave as I’m self employed.

This is the first job I've had that has a 2 week shutdown over Xmas. And due to a restructure I expect I'll not get that again. Previously I've worked in an insurance office (closed B hols and Sundays only), pubs, a restaurant (open 7 days and B hols, only closed Xmas day), a supermarket, and a food factory, open 24hrs, 7 days a week, only closed Xmas eve 8pm to Xmas day 8pm. In fact most of my jobs the busiest time was Xmas, and there were actually holiday bans for the 2 week Xmas / new year period. I think it's quire unusual in most industries to completely close over Xmas, and if you don't then at least some staff will have to work.

Off from tomorrow to Jan 5th. Its too long on top of most of the year stuck at home. Dreading it

I'm off from this Friday to the 4th January 🥳 most people I know are!

www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions SarahBellam pages 48-49. Teachers have to be in school 1265 hours per year and work whatever additional hours are required to do the job/ by their head teacher - open ended.
Payused to be calculated as 46 weeks (with five of those being paid holiday to be taken during school holiday) but averaged out and paid over the year, but I think that may no longer be true.

Genuine question but what NHS key worker roles always have Christmas off? I thought the whole point of key workers were that their job was essential to keep the NHS running
I'm an A&E nurse, usually work New Years nights

It depends what department you're in. Stuff like hyperbarics, anesthetics etc may get Christmas off routinely because most of what they do is booked in advance

@Burnthurst187

One of my colleagues got told yesterday that they can't have the time off between Christmas and the new year. They requested it in June. A heated conversation ensued

Hadn't they chased before now?!

I'm self employed , and normally take Christmas Day , Boxing Day and any bank holidays , if Christmas falls on the weekend
However , I'm in Wales , and work in hospitality so I'm getting a lot of extra time off this year 😫

My DH is off from the 23-11th the company are closing down from these dates to make everyone use 9 holiday days 🙄 our little one is back in preschool on the 6 th !

"So teachers get 6-7 weeks unpaid leave a year? So does that mean your salaries are pro-rata? "

Intellect of a newt. Must be a DofE plant.

I'm off 26/27/28, it's fallen so that's my weekend off (work every other) and my regular day off. Working Christmas Eve/Day and NYE/Day as they're my normal working days. We're not allowed to book leave for that period in advance (though a day or 2 would be considered if family live away etc in normal times), only once we know all shifts can be covered.

The only time I've had 2 weeks off over that period though in my working life (and I've worked in hospitality/banking/healthcare for 25+ years) was when I finished one job in December and arranged started date of the next one for early January.

Its not that unusual if your job allows. I always took two weeks when the kids were little, so did plenty of colleagues.

Christmas is a quiet time in my sector, it is much more difficult to take time off in summer.

We finish today and return w/c 4th. I work in FE. The full building shuts down and we only use approx 2 days allowance

I'm off 22nd to 29th, back in for 2 days then off 31st to 4th . I don't mind coming in in between xmas and new year, I'd rather have the run up to xmas off

I'm working till 5 on Christmas Eve, on call for 24 hours Christmas Day including going in for a few hours, and the same bank holiday Monday 😕 And I did the rota!! It'll be fine I keep telling myself 😆

I'm in an investment type role, so year end is our busiest time. Only a couple of days off each allowed, but that's in addition to Christmas Day/Boxing Day, so not too bad this year (with the way the days/weekends fall).

I now work in school so do get almost the same amount time off as the children. Before I had the DCs I only ever got the bank holidays - every year I would apply for some extra days out of leave but it was always refused.

DH usually takes the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day off using annual leave.

@choosername1234

Genuine question but what NHS key worker roles always have Christmas off? I thought the whole point of key workers were that their job was essential to keep the NHS running I'm an A&E nurse, usually work New Years nights

Even A and E nurses are still entitled to take leave in accordance with organisational policy. Some staff off doesn’t mean an organisation is shut.

Key workers aren’t necessarily front line workers.

Always have off between Christmas and new year as my workplace (uni) is shut. Take another week from new year

I'm off from tomorrow till the 4th.

In my last job we shut down between Xmas and new year so we at least had a week. And then depending how Xmas fell Id normally add some leave onto the end to start on a Monday in the new year rather than mid week.

The job I'm in now (retail) Xmas leave is a no no. I'm working boxing day night which I'm reeeeeeally looking forward too.

One of my jobs is in retail. We're not allowed to take time off between 22 November-4 January. We do get Xmas Day off, but if you're unlucky to be in on Boxing Day at 4pm, you'll probably want an early night.

Small engineering firm - we usually close 23rd December and reopen on the first working day after new year and this is fixed leave. This year, as it's been such a shit year we are closing the factory tonight and staff won't come back until 4th January but the four extra days of holiday will be fully paid and won't come out of anyone's holiday allowance. The remaining 20 days have to be taken before the end of November each year.

I will be working tomorrow and probably Monday just to get everything up to date in the office but hoping to get a couple of extra days myself to make up for not having any break this year except for a couple of Fridays last month.

I'm taking 3 weeks off this year. My employer wanted us to take leave over the festive period as it's a quiet time anyway in my line of work.

Used to work in retail so would have xmas day and boxing day off and then new years day but would generally work all other days. Lucky enough to work somewhere now that closes for Christmas so will be off from Friday until 4th Jan with no annual leave used.