Working on christmas day, the entitlement of others

[Mysticcatmum]

I have a job in a 111 NHS call centre, the office is open 24hrs 7 days a week. I have just been given my Christmas rota and to my delight I have been given off Xmas day (which I have worked previous years).

Now I have had an influx of colleagues who have children, asking me to cover their shifts since 'I have no children'.

So, my question is, AIBU for thinking that I do not (apprantly) deserve to have a christmas off with my family (who have had a rough year) all for the sake of those who have children, who have been off previous years?

But that's no one else's problem apart from theirs.

Personally I'm no longer in a job where you need to work Christmas but I have been in the past in care work.

If we had to work Xmas day the rota would be arranged that parents of small children could work afternoon instead of the morning if they had to work Xmas day. That way they got to do the magical 'Father Christmas has been!' bit with the children and those who worked in the morning could get home and chill out with family in the afternoon. Obviously this changed yearly so the same people didn't do two Xmas days in a row and as children grew up it changed again. You also had to do at least one of the four days each year so either xmas day, boxing day, new year eve or new year day. Quite often parents were more keen to have Xmas day or boxing day off and our younger staff the new year ones off. It worked out without too much upset.

I'm now at a point where working Xmas day wouldn't be a problem - my own adult children often have to work Xmas day themselves now.

“Having children is your lifestyle choice, not mine”

the end.

I don't think there's any point overthinking it OP. I'm child-free and often used work christmas and yes, people would ask to swap but that doesn't mean you are obliged to say yes or that they think you are either.

At the end of the day if I did have children I think I very much would want to spend christmas day with them for their sake rather than my own so I don't feel I can criticise the want to do so.

YANBU. I work for the NHS and have a small child. If I’m on the rota to work Christmas Day we just celebrate on a different day instead.

I think it’s good for kids to appreciate that not everyone has a happy Christmas, and that they should be grateful to have health, family, warm house etc.

Depends how bothered you are about not working
If you don't mind so much you could auction it off.

This is a point that has been made a few times but no one who thinks parents should always get priority seems willing to address it.

I have now just visualised someone being informed that a colleague's only child has died "oh good, you won't want Christmas off now-will you swap?". Sorry, I'm being cynical.

What's the betting the same people demand the peak time in July and August off too

Agree with everyone else. In a job which needs Christmas Day cover some years you win, others you lose. My mate was an A&E nurse for years and she dutifully did her turn with young children. They didn’t suffer. They’re lovely young adults now and she still does her bit over Christmas and new year. Thank God for people like her and you op.

Why is it selfish? The world does not revolve around other people's children.
My kids are adults now but I still want to spend the day with them.

I'm single with no children, but I take time off at Christmas. I don't tend to take time off during the summer especially between July and September, so I feel like its finally my time to have off.

When l was with the police, we had this every year. People expecting (insisting, in some cases) that they MUST have EVERY Christmas off because they had children.
Some others had elderly or seriously ill relatives for whom that Christmas could be their last, but that, apparently, counted for nothing to some people.
I didn't mind working Christmas, especially once l was divorced and living alone, and if l wasn't rostered to work, l'd offer to cover a shift for someone who was.

But it stuck in my craw when someone expected it when they'd had two Christmas Days running off, but still expected it again.
You sign up for a job which involves working Christmas, it's only fair to anticipate you'll be expected to work if you're rostered to do so.

Having children is a choice. Having elderly or ill people you're close to is not.

What if, for one of those adults, it might be the last Christmas someone gets to spend with them?

My mate was an A&E nurse for years and she dutifully did her turn with young children. They didn’t suffer. They’re lovely young adults now and she still does her bit over Christmas and new year. Thank God for people like her and you op.

This. My best friend had children (grown up now), and she worked at Great Ormond Street for a long time.
If she was rostered to work, she worked. That's what she signed up for.

It’s a card the entitled don’t just play on Christmas Day though. Even when their so called dependents are older teenagers, they can still apparently only work particular shifts which everyone else has to fit in with and is usually at a financial disadvantage.

I'm a nurse & my dad was in healthcare too. I worked many Christmasses when my kids were young, just as my dad did when I was young. We just had Christmas dinner etc on a different day. It's unfair when staff think they are more entitled than others to time off.

I've got children and work for NHS and do every other Christmas and take my turn.

I started a new job a couple months ago and my new line manager has openly told me she "gives priority to staff with small kids" for time off over Christmas. I mean, it works in my favour as I have small children, but if I don't think it's entirely fair and I'd of course be upset if I didn't have children. She's probably not popular with the child free staff she manages! 😬

The thing is I couldn’t care less about colleagues children or families etc as they are not my responsibility. Everyone had a right to have equal time off.

My dad worked in a power station and it’s a 365 24/7 role . He worked many christmases and we just worked around it. Day shift-leaving house at 7am, we just got up early and opened presents etc, then had dinner when he came home at 5, night shift-coming home at 9am, we’d open presents when he got home and have dinner about 3/4 after a good sleep for him. Back Shift leaving the house at 3pm, we’d have lunch at 1 before he left. He never expected other colleagues to give up their time just because he had kids.

It's not unreasonable of someone to ask (you never know after all), it is unreasonable of them to assume you deserve Christmas day less. Stay strong, you are not unreasonable :)

That is discrimination.

I’m a midwife with a 9 and almost 6yr old, I’ll be off this year as pregnant on mat leave however you choose to work in a profession that requires round the clock working you have to suck up working the undesirable shifts such as Christmas.

I worked last Christmas Day, and a few years ago also on Christmas Day. They’re entitled to ask to swap, but not entitled to be narky about it.

Tell them that you’re the only one who can cook Christmas dinner.

YANBU op.