To think colleague should have asked if I wanted Christmas off before she booked it off?

[SulkySam]

AIBU to be a bit pissed off colleague booked this Christmas off when she had last Christmas off too? Isn’t it the polite thing to alternate having it off.

I started in role in September last year and she’d already booked off for last year before I started. Absolutely fine.

For this year she mentioned in conversation she’d booked it off, told me it had been approved as if it was fait accompli. No discussion and as it had already been approved there wasn’t much I could say! Quite pissed off manager just approved it as well.

Obviously I’ve know for a few months now but it is still making me seethe! She is an older lady, no DC while I have 5 DC including two disabled children.

Of course that doesn’t mean I have priority over her having time off for Christmas (just to make that clear before someone jumps on it) but isn’t it usual etiquette to take turns?

There's always one

These pesky childfree women, trying to have a nice Christmas with their families like everyone else! Shakes fist

Every team I have worked in we have always not opened Xmas period for booking until the October unless someone was booking a trip away. On opening everyone submits what they would like off and then when that is put against staffing requirements any days which would be left without cover are discussed and agreed - never had one that can't be worked out by compromise.

Just shows how different workplaces vary

And child status is not taken into account.

Absolutely, it's really cheering up my old haggard childfree bones 😂

I can see why you are upset but I don't understand why you didn't book it earlier.
Speak to your manager see if she can split the holiday so other one works NYE ?
your colleague doesn't sound pleasant but perhaps she has commitment you are unaware of.
I hope you don't have to work too many hours .

We did turn and turn about where I worked. Some of us never wanted Xmas but wanted another bank holiday week so we rarely had any issues but it was thought fair to ask everyone who wanted the time. Those who worked the year before were given first dibs.

I wonder what Santa and the Baby Jesus would make of her.

Coal and a bolt of lightning I think.

Gosh September/October is late to discuss rotas, how are you meant to find childcare for Christmas Day that late if you have to work? Or petcare come to that. If you have to work Christmas Day you need to know as early as possible. It's not like having to work normal days.

I am in the first come first served camp. If you have kids, you have to plan ahead. Well, if you don't have kids you have to plan ahead too. If someone beats you to it, you know in plenty of time.

Do you actually mean Sunday 25th December? Or a week or two covering school holidays?

One of my colleagues is ‘having’ to work on one day between Christmas/New Year (her first in 10 years). She’s already said she’s going sick.

This

Do you usually work Sunday? If not, then why would you have to work Christmas? Seems unusual that a company so small it only has 1.5 staff in the role is open on every Sunday let alone Christmas? What is it you do?

I’m failing to see what crime the colleague had committed
it was free so she booked it

if OP wanted it why didn’t she book it

It’s December and you’re only just thinking of booking it off? Yes, the usual etiquette is to take turns, but if she’s only just booked it off, you can’t really blame her. It’s a bit different if she’d booked on January 1st.

You should have booked in yourself well in advance to avoid disappointment. You've no right to be annoyed

No, that's not the way it should be thars just the way you do it.

Why mention you have 5 children if you don’t believe it to be relevant? Lol.

I have no children & I don’t even celebrate Christmas, nor do my family members. But do I go ahead and book AL over the Christmas period, well in advance? Yes I do. Everyone is entitled to book off whatever days they wish. If you’ve missed out, that’s on you.

Congrats, absolutely makes sense that everyone with a working womb gets Christmas off because they're so effing special.

The rest of us, who may not have children for various reasons, should work those days because we don't really matter

Is it just the actual day or do you need time off to cover school holidays? If the latter then I'm afraid it's on you and you should have requested leave as soon as you were able to. Even the day tbh. You should also have checked if there was a policy of turn and turn about rather than assuming it to be the case.
In our place Christmas is planned for in October time, we request days (although service is closed weekends/bank holidays) and then managers work through to ensure the service is sufficiently staffed. Most people get what they ask for. There is also a bit of looking back to who had what the previous year.
Most leave can be requested as soon as the new holiday year is underway but mid December to early January is much later (unless booking abroad to see family etc, that's looked at on case by case basis).
You can talk to your manager again, but you can't ask your colleague to revoke her leave at this late stage.

I book Christmas leave in June😁 latest.
Childfree here.

Whether you have 0 or 15 kids, it's no one's problem. Normally first comes first served BUT with management actually doing their job and sorting it so it is fair. If you worked last year, you should have off this year.

I do have to question why did you leave dealing with it until December.... It really gives the vibe that Christmas were not important to you