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?

I disagree.
If dc have two parents and one has to work then the dc will still have a good day.
If a person without young dc has an elderly relative but has to give priority to the parent of young dc then the elderly relative will be on their own and will not have a good day.

If you want to be at home with dc on Christmas Day then don’t get a job where you will be asked to work sometimes.

Then it's up to management to make provision(s) for that, not for colleague to put upon other colleagues to give up their own plans to accommodate.

Nobody is more important than anybody else - including children,

Childhood lasts 16 years, adult hood - 50?

But yes, you should enjoy your Christmas Day off.
Qualifications aside, people with a sense of entitlement do seem to get ahead quickly and in turn become well placed to exploit opportunities to their advantage.
Bit random because thankfully he’s of the past and not NHS but Boris Johnson springs to mind.

Massively entitled and massively to the detriment of NHS patients.

I wonder if all those spouting it’s for kids change their minds when it’s their kids that are adults who they still want to see we ‘family’ on Christmas

Then of course grandkids come along and they HAVE to spend it with them.

Families all celebrate differently. It’s for no one else to judge that their circumstances are far more important because they have kids. Sod off.

When I was younger I did swap cos it worked for me and I had new year off. But now my dad is unwell and doesn’t have many christmas’ left. Plus I’m older and don’t give a shit about nye. I have family and I want to spend it with them. I do my turn with bad shifts. Anyone working in places over Christmas should do their share they took the job knowing it!

I grew up on a farm so used to work carrying on regardless of Christmas Day.

However I had two parents that could tag team to make the day special.
I think parents of young children should get priority especially single ones. I think Christmas magic is for the children and once those years are gone its essentially just a nice day off all together. I work the late Christmas Eve shift so parents can have that time off. We aren't open Christmas day but I absolutely work so somebody with kids could be at home.

Mines a teen now and not bothered and my husband and parents would be happy to see me to celebrate whenever. Because we are adults.

Well I voted YABU because of your voting instructions:

"AIBU for thinking that I do not deserve to have a christmas off"

So yes, you are being unreasonable if you think you don't deserve Christmas off.

You do deserve Christmas off, especially if you worked the last few Christmas days.

I hope you thoroughly enjoy your Christmas Day off. It's your turn this year x

People who want that "magical moment" can
a) get a different type of job
b) have Father Christmas come on Christmas Eve
c) Tell the young children that Boxing Day is Christmas Day and just shift everything

What they cannot do is imply that their magical moments are more important that others' magical moments and thus give them a better cause for having the day off. I personally think that memories of my dad with his crown on from the cracker and sitting by the fire with a glass of champagne watching "A Christmas Carol" are pretty magical too.

Having worked as a nurse, I know that, when the rotas are done, the first priority is ensuring that there are enough staff on the ward/unit. After that, you look at the off-duty requests and do your best to give everyone the days off that they want or need - but if it can’t be done safely, someone won’t get their requested time off.

When I was working we did do our best to get as many people home for Christmas - even if just for the day/couple of days over Christmas - so the wards were quieter, and so fewer staff were needed, which made it easier to give people time off.

Everyone starts with the same opportunity to choose their field of endeavour / career.

And the lament about single parents is hogwash. They have the other 364 days of the year to line up childcare for Christmas Day. It's not their co-workers' problem.

I work the late Christmas Eve shift so parents can have that time off. We aren't open Christmas day but I absolutely work so somebody with kids could be at home

Because it's a well known fact that people without children don't have any plans or arrangements or last minute shopping or travelling they have to do on Christmas Eve, or even that they might fancy watching Nine Lessons and Carols on the telly with a sherry and a mincepie; they're child free and their lives are empty of meaning and celebration 🙄

No its not in the least selfish. People working in jobs which require 365 days a cover know when they take the job that there's a possibility they'll need to work Christmas.

I don't have children but I do have a family that I want to spend Christmas Day with. If I'm off I'm taking the day & enjoying it.

Uh oh, this one is guaranteed to boil my bunny blood boiling more than anything.

I have the exact same issue every freaking year. Because I don't have children, I am automatically asked to swap shifts with colleagues who do (and it's heavily expected that I should agree, and therefore be willing to work any or all combinations from the 24th December through to the 2nd January). If I refuse, I get muttered and tutted at and hear rumblings of "she's just being awkward" and "selfish, selfish, selfish".

Fwiw, I have worked the last 3 Christmas Days, most of the week in between Christmas and New Year and the last 2 New Year's Days (despite it being my bloody birthday - but those were the shifts I was allocated, so I just got on with it).

And what REALLY sticks the knife in, is that I am not childless by choice. I'm childless after 5 cycles of IVF failed. So if I want to take the occasional Christmas Day off to spend with my parents, DH and wider family, do NOT make me feel like a selfish chump for doing so!

Nobody is more important than anybody else - including children

I work with children so biased but I really can't understand this in relation to Christmas. I know it s pagan, religious etc etc but in this day and age its one day of being special for children and not being a twat to other adults .
For those that are having their last Christmas with someone that last Christmas could be equally important.
Christmas is special. If you are just looking forward to a day off and eating loads I think its selfish to not give it up for whom it may be more important. Its not some people are more important but that the day might be more so for some than others.

I think everyone has a right to do what they want to do. Some people would be happy to swap with a colleague who has children, others without children will want the day off too. No-one should be made to do something they don’t want to do.

Christmas is special. If you are just looking forward to a day off and eating loads I think its selfish to not give it up for whom it may be more important. Its not some people are more important but that the day might be more so for some than others

Who gets to define what's important to someone and when that trumps what's important to someone else?

You know what? I don't care what's important to you because it's not important to me. You want to make a martyr of yourself and get the warm fuzzies because of it, be my guest. You don't get to dispose of my time off because you've decided I - for not having children - am some sort of second class citizen who has to put everyone ahead of me all the fucking time.

Christmas is special. If you are just looking forward to a day off and eating loads I think its selfish to not give it up for whom it may be more important.

The "more important" always being decided by the person with kids, obviously. Perhaps this is selfish but I judge my day to be more important to me than other people's kids' Christmases. Even if all I'm doing is sitting and eating good food.

(Not that it does me any good as my employer is an arse and believes that childless workers exist to cover parents, but in principle I find it arrogant that so many parents feel they alone can dictate a hierarchy of importance as if it's categorical fact.)

You nailed it with 'Christmas is special'. To many people. I couldn't give a shit if a colleague has to rearrange Christmas Day with their kids. Not my problem and if I wanted my Christmas Day off to be sat watching telly and eating then that as good a reason as someone wanting to see their kids unwrap presents.

I would however swap with someone who had a dying close relative.

Hogwash.

I don't need my Christmas day to be "special enough" to pass your muster. We have our traditions, and just because they don't involve a child OR someone on their last December in life doesn't mean they aren't important to us. We look forward to Christmas all the year round and really enjoy it, even if we are "only" adults.

It's just rude, obnoxious and entitled to be pestering others to swop days off, especially when an established rota is fair to all workers. And it's super-obnoxious to maintain that "Christmas is for the chilllldreeeennn!" because it patently is not. It's an enjoyable day for many people at all stages of life, none more important than the other.

God, the entitlement is SO tiresome.

This.

It's not entitled to ask (politely). And it's also ok for you to say no (politely). No need for drama and anger.

That must be galling, @Flippityflippidy

Are you working it this year? No way would I help out anyone who was heard to call me "selfish." Never.

I know it s pagan, religious etc etc but in this day and age its one day of being special for children and not being a twat to other adults

Unless those other adults don't have children. In that case, sod them.

People can ask, you can politely decline and perhaps mention you have worked previous Christmas Days if you wish.

@Flippityflippidy the response you are describing from some is harassment.