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?

Just like the people who only work school hours long past them having school age children, leaving the people with school age children struggling.

I don't have to work Christmas Day anymore, thankfully. I became quite strict about not swapping after several Christmas evenings spent alone as I couldn't get a train home after work. The assumption that it was fine for me to cry into my Christmas Pudding was bordering on cruel.

Christmas is an incredibly hard time for a lot of adults and assuming the childfree should suck it up because they're irrelevant is vile.

Childcare issues are obviously different. If you can't get childcare then you're snookered.

Yes, I can see utility workers could be needed- skeleton staff, on call.I can not see tv repairmen being expected to work or that being any significant number.

I think almost everything not absolutely essential to health, care or safety of people or animals should be closed on Christmas and Boxing Day. That should be the norm. We don't need hospitality, shops, takeaways, petrol stations , airports, trains or entertainment venues for those two days.

I’m pretty sure that I didn’t say you weren’t. Generally though, when you express an opinion on a forum, you can expect to be replied to.

And yes, you were reading from the boring, and dramatic, ‘so selfish/bitter/scrooges/what about the children?’ script that usually makes an appearance on threads like these, as if it’s ever made anyone actually feel bad. You’re obviously absolutely welcome to your opinion that children take priority, and you are of course free to give up your own leave according to your ideals. Not sure what that has to do with anyone else though.

Not everyone actually celebrates Christmas, though, so they shouldn’t be forced to basically do nothing for two days if they don’t want to.

Petrol stations are pretty essential as well - lots of reasons people might need to travel, even if everything else is shut (caring responsibilities, dropping kids to their other parents, visiting different family members etc)

Sorry about my last post. I was going to ask MN to delete it but was called away to deal with a patient and have only just got back.

I do get so sick of this attitude that people like me are worthless because we decide or cannot have children.

These discussions turn reasonable people into monsters.

I know, if we took a sip of wine for every "magic" or "magical" we'd all be plastered.

I’d be tempted to feel more sorry for the people who have to travel, particularly by public transport at Christmas, than those with children. As long as there is someone at home for them.

YANBU Op

my child died at xmas many years ago & it's an extremely difficult time for me. I simply can't "bring on the cheer" for those at work.

For info I worked in my work since before this tragedy so I didn't pick a job with Xmas work knowing I couldn't.

Someone in my work tried to pressure me to swap as you've guessed it she had small kids.

I damm near took her head off her body. Thankfully HR has put a compassionate date for me and I don't work xmas ever. (I do every new year and Easter ) she is raging every year and I couldn't give a flying duck.

Selfish horrible witch.

So how do shopping centres, for example, deal with the huge amount of waste created during December and ensure that they're fully prepped for the January sales?

Not to mention how they suffer from the lack of snow😉

If the TV repairmen is a nod to my comment I never mentioned TV repairmen (or women). I mentioned engineers in the TV broadcast industry like riggers who climb the masts etc

Not quite the same

Britain today is much more multicultural than it once was, and has many people who do not even celebrate Christmas.

I do think petrol stations need to be open, remember the police and ambulances etc will still be working.

The idea that the country can just shut down completely for a day is bonkers. That's impossible unless if you shut absolutely everything down- hospitals, emergency services etc. For those services to run, you also need other things to keep going too.

If you take employment that is a 24/7 service, then you can expect that you will be working Christmas, New year, Easter and other bank holidays along with weekends.
If that doesn't work for you because of family or other commitments, then you shouldn't take the job.
It's that simple.
You can't expect other employees to accommodate you because of your family circumstances.

Omfg. You can’t be serious. I’ll say it louder for the people at the back: I DON’T GIVE TWO FUCKS WHETHER YOUR KIDS ARE WITH YOU ON CHRISTMAS DAY OR NOT, IT ISN’T MY PROBLEM!

You don't have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy 2 days off work with time to read, watch tv, go out walking, see friends, have a few people round, knit, sew, paint (or whatever you like to do that's peaceful and quiet).
Buy your food in for the two days, fill your car and just enjoy the break.

People complain constantly about work and pressure but when there is an opportunity to have some down time, you want everything open because 'some people don't celebrate Christmas' and have rights to do things they want to do. It's two days.

Another vote for thinking that asking to swap is perfectly fine, while guilt tripping is absolutely not acceptable.

One of the advantages of a diverse workforce is that not everyone wants to have leave at the same time.

YANBU.

If you want Christmas Day off every year, choose a suitable job.

I have a 2 yo DS however even before he was born I wouldn't have wanted to work Christmas because my DM would have been alone and I enjoy spending Christmas with her.

I don't see why anyone should prioritise someone else's family or plans above their own, I know I wouldn't (unless there were exceptional circumstances).

I'm loving the no petrol stations. Sorry Mrs Morris your house is going to burn down because we have had several call outs already and we are out of fuel... And yes your husband may suffer massively because of smoke inhalation because we can't get an ambulance out for the same reason. And no you can't pop him in a taxi because its 10pm so they ran out of fuel hours ago. Hey ho and merry Christmas....

Being the arsehole? This isn't Reddit. (At least you left the 'oh so edgy' crying-with-laughter emojis out of this one, so I suppose we should be thankful for small mercies...)

And re Christmas being boring for adults, speak for yourself.

And don't worry if you are a carer with 15 visits to do on Christmas day when you have run out of fuel you can just walk. So long as other people get to sit at home and knit...

You don't have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy 2 days off work with time to read, watch tv, go out walking, see friends, have a few people round, knit, sew, paint (or whatever you like to do that's peaceful and quiet).

That sounds like 2 days from hell

It's up to the parents to manage their "inconveniences" and "baggage". Not me. Not the rest of the staff.