Christmas Leave 'I have kids'

[paintityellow]

Yes I know this comes up every year, but it's so bloody annoying. The Christmas leave list went around in September, with it being specified that priority for Christmas Day would be given to people who worked it last year.
Despite this we now have a couple of people really trying to pressure others to give up Christmas Day because 'I have kids'. One of these women has had the last 3 Christmas Days off, the other's kids are teenagers. One of the people they're trying to pressure wants to fly home to spend Christmas day with her parents, Another has no family in the area so also wants to travel home for Christmas. Both worked last year.
AIBU to find this attitude infuriating?

Child free is one thing, what about the childless? Personally I wouldn’t like to be the mother saying to someone with 4 rounds of failed IVF ‘hi not only do you not have the children you longed for but I, who do, am going to make sure I really rub it in by making you work every single Christmas in my stead as well’

@fitzwilliamdarcy im genuinely really surprised by that, maybe I’m just naive but I assumed most people who worked Xmas day would be paid more (double time) or in another place I worked you got two days in holiday in lieu if you worked Xmas (which meant a lot of people without kids actually chose to work it (quite a quiet/ easy/ short day) and go away another time of their choosing). I totally agree that those who do it should be rewarded!

I don't disagree...but my argument is that someone with children does not trump someone with religious beliefs. Which is why everyone taking a fair turn is more than reasonable, with no quibbling.

How is someone having Christmas off inflicting loneliness and misery on others? Is it only people with children that can do this inflicting? There is some crazy logic and guilt slinging on this thread.

If someone is at a point in life where spending Christmas Day alone will result in devastation, surely they should be seeking help and not be in the workplace?

I spent years having to work Christmas day when my kids were young and usually ended up either working the night shift Xmas eve or Xmas day night shift so I could be there in the day but it was always shit either feeling crap as I'd worked Xmas eve or not being able to relax or even have a drink as I was working the nightshift Xmas day. Thank god I have a daytime job now ! I would never have dreamed of asking anyone to swap, although sometimes people did offer which was lovely.

There is midnight mass here. People flock to it if they are into church going.

Christmas isn't about children only people with children make it about them. It's a peak time for lonely people to commit suicide because they are sat on their own watching a world depicted to be full of happy families meeting together. If you don't want to work your share of Christmases change jobs.

People are so entitled here. Do some people have any idea how many others work over Christmas to keep the world running? It is not just doctors and nurses. It is catering staff, drivers, police, power station workers, telecommunications staff etc; so many staff work over Christmas in order for day-to-day life to continue as normal.

There is this weird entitlement with some precious parents who seem outraged at the concept of anybody who procreates, having to work on the 25th of December. It is weird.

So potentially colleague 1 with kids could get Christmas Day off every year for the best part of a decade whilst colleague 2 without kids is told to suck it up and cover for her?

Absolutely
Fuck
That

My friend is a mid wife. If she works christmas day, she is given christmas eve off. Which is when her and the kids celebrate christmas.

What is wild is the fact that some posters feel entitled to have child free people take into consideration someone else’s choice to have kids - but won’t give any consideration to someone’s choice to live far from family.

I’m glad there seems to be a lot of considerate parents speaking up on this thread in favour of fairness and the majority are not entitled and selfish.

If someone is at a point in life where spending Christmas Day alone will result in devastation, surely they should be seeking help and not be in the workplace?

Sure because loneliness and poor mental health are known to guarantee you a secure financial situation where you can take as much time off work as you need.

🤣🤣🤣🤣 yeah maybe when I was a lot younger but when I got to about aged 12 I wanted to play with my presents on my own.
No family is more important than another.

No they don't. My mum has a daughter - me! Why should she never see me at Christmas? In fact you could argue elderly parents are more important because they may not see another Christmas, whereas young kids hopefully will see many.

I do get the childcare argument but then you have to choose a job where you don't have to work bank holidays or make sure you have support.

Good point. It’s interesting that so many of the self proclaimed compassionate people who say “it’s all about the children” ignore this fact re. Lonely adults and Mental health issues at Christmas.

My mum used to volunteer to work Christmas shifts. She would work the morning shifts as a nurse. We did presents at 6 am before shift left and we did Christmas dinner at half 3 when she got home.
We have a large extended family so she knew we always had people around. Some of her colleagues didn't have that luxury which she knew. As well she would rather boxing day off to watch us play with our presents.
She also volunteered to work new year's Day as she isn't a big drinker and could easily have an enjoyable new year's eve and be fit to work the next day.

Midnight mass is generally a quicky mass.
The full mass celebration is on Christmas Day.
Christians are not less worthy than children, it’s a Christian celebration.

Rotating it is best. Having children is no more important than any other reason.🙄

Well if it’s so important, parents had better ensure that they can secure employment where they don’t have to work over Christmas. And not expect other people to facilitate their life choices. I don’t give a flying fuck about other people’s kids 😂.

Ignore them, everyone deserves time off for xmas does not matter if have kids or not. No brainer.

I could not disagree more, how entitled can you be!

Employees should be treated fairly and equally, not based on the amount of children they have.

Of course children should have holidays, but that's their parents problem, not their employer or the parents colleagues. Yes, you have childcare to organise, did it just occur to you when your child started primary school?

As my kids have Christmas, February, Easter, May, October time off, it's also ridiculous to pretend August is the only chance to go on holiday. 😂

I agree with the post above, if we start giving entitled parents priority for some things, non-entitled parents or non-parents should get a bonus and priority over promotion and interesting projects.

Bollocks. Christmas is whatever you want it to be.

Just because someone is childless or child free it doesn't mean they don't have family.

This.

But also, having poor mental health does not mean you’re necessarily unable to work anyway. It’s perfectly possible that spending time alone with your own thoughts at a time of year where there is immense pressure to be with other people could mean that conditions that are normally manageable to become unbearable.

@Monetm so someone in mental health crisis should be working? I don't get your point. Am I supposed to feel guilty because I suggested they should be unavailable for work?

I have said in my posts if you need to work it should be shared out fairly.