I just read an article on Facebook about this. A parent had asked a childfree colleague if she could have some of her saved holiday days and was refused (understandably).
That's obviously a CF request. But in general, what do you think about parents and holiday requests Vs childfree colleagues?
I don't believe parents should be given priority when it comes to time off on any holiday, be it summer or Christmas etc.. I think it should always, generally, work on a first come first served basis. The amount of times I was refused any sort of time off in the summer because every single parent in the office had booked off the summer and they were given first dibs on those dates used to annoy me.
I'm a parent now but my opinion hasn't changed on that. I think if someone childfree has gotten there with the request before you then that's tough.
Same with Christmas, if you work a job that requires Christmas working, I don't think it's fair to allow the same people off every Christmas year in year out.
It's definitely something I've experienced in my workplace before and after having DC and it feels very unfair.
I really don't think it's anyone elses responsibility to ensure you get time off during school holidays or things like Christmas and that a childfree colleague has as much right to book the time off as any parent.
So...
YANBU - parents shouldn't get preferential treatment or priority when it comes to time off work.
YABU - they should.
AIBU?
AIBU to think parents shouldn't get preferential treatment when it comes to time off work?
KwestTurkey · 30/11/2021 22:38
Am I being unreasonable?
3203 votes. Final results.
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I recently stayed in a hotel. The shift manager told me they'd taken on single parents who couldn't work evenings or weekends which meant she was covering every weekend and doing back to back shifts (night followed by day). I think this is madness. I know single parents need income, but in a hotel flexibility is key so single parents possibly need to look elsewhere for jobs 
Ref holidays - unless my colleague is a single parent with no support network, I'd expect mix and match for holidays - Easter = 2 weeks, so could be split into 2 x 1 week leave. Christmas is similar and there are 6-8 weeks in the summer so that should be straight forward. Other half terms might be OK to go to parents.
I have to admit though until I had kids I'd go on holiday during term time cos it was quieter and flights were cheaper. When we had kids, we stuck to school holidays in the main, but as there were 2 of us, we managed covering school holidays between us. I had several colleagues that only worked term time, though they checked emails everyday which worked OK too.
But I don't think you're being unreasonable to expect holidays to be fairly distributed - first come first served is how we managed things but it might be fairer to get people to choose in a team setting...
@Dibbydoos
Ref holidays - unless my colleague is a single parent with no support network, I'd expect mix and match for holidays - Easter = 2 weeks, so could be split into 2 x 1 week leave. Christmas is similar and there are 6-8 weeks in the summer so that should be straight forward. Other half terms might be OK to go to parents.
I have to admit though until I had kids I'd go on holiday during term time cos it was quieter and flights were cheaper. When we had kids, we stuck to school holidays in the main, but as there were 2 of us, we managed covering school holidays between us. I had several colleagues that only worked term time, though they checked emails everyday which worked OK too.
But I don't think you're being unreasonable to expect holidays to be fairly distributed - first come first served is how we managed things but it might be fairer to get people to choose in a team setting...
To be fair I work in a hotel in housekeeping which works well with school hours. Hotels have been so short staffed recently and have to work with the staff they are able to get. I went for an interview in a nice hoter recently and they are operating at 70% capacity as they don't have the staff to service rooms/ kitchen staff to cook for them.
I was totally honest I can start at 9 and I need to finish by 3, won't do weekends. Got offered the job.
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