To think eating out on Christmas Day is selfish

[Grapefruitmelon]

I know that there will be people who say they appreciate the extra money and tips and not everyone celebrates Christmas and not everyone has a family to spend it with and I hear all that.

But just the same, it does force some people to come to work who’d rather not.

No, not at all daphne. If people want to sit alone in a restaurant and they enjoy that and they don’t feel lonely, it would be extremely arrogant of me to say otherwise. What I am saying is I don’t think they make up the majority of Christmas Day diners, I don’t think many people do eat out alone much if at all. That doesn’t make it wrong if you do, before anyone jumps down my throat, I’m just not sure in itself that’s a good reason for them staying open.

I agree with you OP. This thread has shown most people work Christmas because they make more money. They wouldn’t need that money so badly if they weren’t so underpaid the rest of the year. It’s just another example of the rich manipulating the poor. They’re making them think it’s a choice they’re making when it isn’t really.
If a business owner is ok working on Christmas with staff volunteering, then fair enough, but they shouldn’t force staff to work if they aren’t prepared to do it themselves.

Lots of people don't celebrate Christmas and are happy to work.

Lots of people would rather be at work than with their families at Christmas.

Lots of people can't afford to not work at Christmas.

Lots of people might be hole on their own if they weren't working at Christmas.

And some people enjoy it, the atmosphere, the banter.

None of that has anything to do with those who choose to eat out somewhere that is simply open and serving.

Surely being in a restaurant alone on Christmas day surrounded by families would be completely miserable

More miserable than being home alone?

Not everyone is the same as you. I really like eating out alone as long as I’ve got a good book.

This article is quite interesting:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/16/change-life-holidays-collective-restoration-oliver-burkeman

There are costs to exercising the freedom to eat out on Christmas Day.

@PurpleDaisies, so do I.

I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Clearly the OP is harbouring some fantasy of hospitality workers being poor, downtrodden Bob Cratchetts being forced to work by tyrannical masters that refuse to let them take time off and wont change her mind no matter how many of us try to convince her otherwise.

No point in engaging, she's determined Hers Is The Only Valid Viewpoint.

@Grapefruitmelon

Surely being in a restaurant alone on Christmas day surrounded by families would be completely miserable, *@tigger1001*

I spent a fair few christmases alone and I seriously can’t think of anything more depressing!

Where I worked, it was one sitting and was done in a long table so no one was sitting on their own.

Was a fantastic atmosphere and was booked up by summertime every year, with a waiting list.

No, I don’t think I am daphne. I just think where possible, people should have a day off.

I concede some want to work that day.

I concede some think they are doing the hospitality sector a big favour.

I still personally feel that where possible Christmas should be a day that centres around homes and families. That’s not a personal slight on anyone who doesn’t share this view.

I find this weird.

I have never worked a Christmas Day.

But from the age of 18, when my DSis was 15, it has happened that she often worked Christmas Day. She was a carer, training to be a nurse, so ever since that age there have been at least 50% of Christmases where she has had to work. So we just do Christmas Day on another day. Which is what, I assume, other people do with their families on Christmas Day. When you start doing that you realise that actually it is not the numerical date that matters, but who you are with, what you do and the food you prepare and enjoy together.

So if other people want to eat out on Christmas Day and you get paid accordingly, then it doesn’t really matter.

I know where you are coming from op.

And I think many of the reasonably well off people with a nice comfortable 9-5 job who eat out on Christmas Day like to convince themselves that they are doing the workers a favour as they will get double time, maybe more tips?

But the reality is, many of these workers will be on these rubbish zero hour contracts without many of the perks many other jobs have, sick pay, good pension scheme etc. Whatever they make extra is possibly lost in the rubbish conditions the rest of the year. Hospitality can be poorly paid and with poor conditions.

But then the flip side there is good and bad to every job and people can turn on each other when times are tough.
You only had to look at the threads on here slating those who are furloughed during the first lockdown.
Then when people realised every other person wasn’t going to be critically ill from covid, they slated the previously praised key workers for daring to get a 10% discount somewhere on their shopping or whatever.

It’s hard as there’s always going to be perks to some jobs and downsides. What one person is prepared to put up with, or is even quite happy with, could be someone’s else’s nightmare scenario.

You could always feel much better off or hard done by compared to someone else.

I don’t have any desire to eat out on Christmas Day. If I ever did though, I think my main focus would be when I’m enjoying myself with my family and relaxing, never mind are these workers making an extra few £££, but are they treat decently and with respect the rest of the year by their employee.

The hospitality industry is crying out for staff at the moment. If people don't like the working conditions at the establishment they work at, they can look elsewhere. It's definitely an employees' market at the moment. That way, businesses who treat staff fairly will prosper and the others will struggle to recruit.

My nearest pub opened for two hours in the afternoon - no food, just drinks. It was full of happy people, including people who would otherwise have been alone all day, and some staff not on the rota to work still turned up. It was a lovely atmosphere.

The level of breath taking entitlement is impressive. If you had said that there should be fairer procedures to ensure people are not forced into working I'd be cheering you on. You absolutely speak from a place of privilege, notwithstanding the drop ins about spending Christmas alone implying that of course you absolutely understand everyone else's circumstances

However you have chosen to make some massively entitled assumptions, forgetting that there are people who actually really need the money from working Christmas day, people who genuinely are incredibly isolated and eating out that day benefits them, those with MH concerns that mean not having to cook that difficult day is a lifeline, you claim you work in a diverse area but dismiss the benefits to restaurants being open because you have decided that it's not as big a benefit as the cost is to others.

Honestly your tone is just lazy virtue signalling. This is quite literally the easiest subject to witter on about to convince yourself you are a good person because it requires absolutely no effort.

Challenge the minimum wage structure that pays so low that people need the money from shifts, challenge working practices that don't hire enough so people have less movement in working that day? Relate that to the countries economy that is forcing low levels of disposable income on restaurants have to charge less and pay less and not hire enough staff? No? Because that would require actual thought.

Far better of course to throw a bit of hyperbole finding fault in others and blame them for mistreatment of their peers. Its just lazy.

You keep repeating that you think its selfish , despite many posters pointing out that it's not a selfish act as such but a lifeline for some, you have decided the examples mysteriously don't exist in big enough numbers to be valid? Based on what knowledge exactly? What statistics other than "You think..."?

Lazy bloody virtue signalling. Which is a pity because there is a much more nuanced issue that could be intelligently debated. Too easy though to find the common denominator target isn't it?

I don’t think I’m the entitled one, to be honest.

I used to enjoy working Christmas day. But no one else I worked with did. So I'd never eat out on Christmas day.

@Grapefruitmelon

I don’t think I’m the entitled one, to be honest.

It’s entitled to choose to use a service which is being offered?

@Nietzschethehiker - some excellent points there.

Believe it or not Purple I do see your point, but - sorry - I stand by mine.

@Nietzschethehiker
Not forgetting people that work in hospitality that otherwise would be alone as well.

@Grapefruitmelon

Believe it or not Purple I do see your point, but - sorry - I stand by mine.

That people eating out are selfish? I think people that hold that opinion are selfish.

I think the act is a selfish one rather than individuals are selfish personally.

@Grapefruitmelon

I think the act is a selfish one rather than individuals are selfish personally.

What is the difference?

It’s a huge difference. If we are really precise it’s selfish of me to drive a car rather than cycle to work, selfish of me to have a four bedrooms house when we could manage with two, selfish to buy another pair of shoes I like rather than donate to charity.

These may be selfish acts but they don’t mean I’m a selfish person. There’s a huge difference.

I agree!!! No hospitality/shops/offices should be open except for emergency services & hospitals and care homes etc.