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?

That’s a disgraceful thing to say.
If MNHQ have any compassion they will take that down

@Sheerdetermination so you cannot construct an argument as to why. That speaks volumes to say the least

I suspect that user thinks it is not only primarily about children, it is even more primarily about HER children 😂

Can't believe how many selfish people there are. As a teacher I'm lucky to have Christmas and NY of, but many friends and family are HCP and therefore have to work the festive period. The only fair way is on a rota. Everyone's Christmas is important to them and no one is less deserving of time off than anyone else. If I did have to work Christmas Day then I would happily do so if it was done fairly, despite the fact I have two kids.

You’d think with having IVF you’d be a bit more sympathetic to the fact there might be child free adults who wanted to have kids and can’t and now being told they must work all the Christmases because they didn’t have children.

Feeling lucky, fortunate and blessed is one thing, however being inconsiderate and lacking empathy for others situations and ,feeling superior and gloating is another thing completely.

Ok so the mental health of a colleague is of no importance but the parent wanting to please a child is sacrosanct.... unfortunately your argument is exactly why companies shouldn't give priority to parents as they do have a duty to their immediate employees not their offspring.

I used to work for a company that opened over Christmas. I'd always offer, despite having children, but because there's no public transport work had to supply a taxi both ways and once they found out the cost..... Never did work Christmas or boxing day.

It's settled via a Hunger Games style contest.

I have always worked shift work. Christmas, bank holidays, weekends etc. No chance I will ever do that again whilst my son is young

😂😂😂

that would be great for the poster banging on about "equity"
but I'd rather we take turn than joining Squid Game 😂😂

It's okay though the gas and electric workers are off for the day so no TV to watch....

I don't agree at all. It's 2 days. You don't need half the things you mention.

Great - which things aren’t needed?

I agree it's an appalling comment and I have reported it. You would think someone who had IVF would be more understanding.

I work in retail and have done for 18 years, almost 15 at my current job, I only ever ask for Boxing Day, I work mostly 7-12, sometimes an afternoon shift but never an afternoon shift on Christmas Eve. Sunday is one of my contracted days off, the other one varies. So naturally I have Christmas Eve off and we don’t have a delivery. (My department) so I will be getting 3 days in a row this year, which I can’t wait for. Every year we get Christmas temps, who then try to ask for Christmas off…. Then if they don’t get it they call sick so someone has to cover them.
we used to have the same rule as you op where for the full timers one year off, one year in, now they usually do it either Christmas Eve or Boxing Day and the same with new years,…
we had a few part timers that tried to request 4 consecutive years of Christmas week off. I have 2dc, I’ve never said I’ve got kids. Boxing Day is a big deal in our house, and aswell as that I live furthest away and the buses cost more on Boxing Day. It’s the only day I’ve ever requested off over Christmas. Some people are just selfish.

Will this be televised? I would watch it 😅

@paintityellow because Christmas for a child is more significant than Christmas for an adult. An adult who can rationalise why someone may have to work. Surely that’s obvious?

7 years on the bounce?? You are a saint!

Even if you believe that to be true, how exactly is that the problem of those without children?

If not working over Christmas is important to you because of your children, don’t take a job that will require you to do so.

I hope you hold your ground.
You can’t be discriminated against

We don't agree in my family that Christmas is for children. In fact, in my extended family, there are very few children. Most of my cousins, and my sibling and I, are childfree. Yet we have glorious secular Christmas celebrations featuring elegant feasts, lots of champagne, dressy evenings with a fireplace and jazz versions of carols, sharing and poring over old photos, exchanging small gifts and all sorts of other activities. It's like a weeklong fest culminating in New Year's Eve or New Year's Day gatherings.

Kids can rip wrapping paper off a Lego box any day of the week.

I wonder if the pp who were clamouring to accuse child free people of not being compassionate if they dare to take Christmas off and how “appalling” it is of them, will stay silent about this shameless display of insensitivity.

Good thing is this poster has illustrated clearly the “me me me,and mine mine mine” attitude some entitled parents have about them and their “little family”.

Once again, I’d sat it’s definitely not all or even most parents who hold this attitude thankfully.

I don’t remember any of my friends with parents working on Christmas Day having a lasting or even momentary trauma from it. They worked around it, had dinner late or did a big breakfast before their parents left.

conversely, I do know some single childfree adults who live alone, who felt extremely isolated and lonely on Christmas when they’re unable to spend it with their family consecutive years on the trot and feel down at being told they have less priority than parent.

As pp pointed out Christmas is a time when a lot of loneliness is rife and mental health is affected. You are not being compassionate by only focusing on the needs of someone with kids.

Thank you to the parents who've been very fair about this issue. To the others, when you don't have DC it's very galling when every half term, every Christmas, Easter and Summer the same people try to play the I've got kids card and to Hell with everyone else.

Your own child yes. Some random work colleague’s kids, no.