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?

@CherryMyBrandy @LaurieStrode 😂😂 I announce it 🙋🏻‍♀️ so it’s really not that ridiculous an idea! I don’t do extra Christmas days now as my current workplace doesn’t require it. Our big days are Boxing Day and 2nd Jan - 90% of the staff are absolutely furious about having to work. Every year there’s a big uproar about how the business should be shut and it’s a time for family etc.

The business pays Double Time + a day in lieu for Boxing Day and 2nd January.
Every year that I’m not rota’d on for either of them I work out what day id rather have off and send out my email to everyone within my seniority level who would be allowed to swap shifts.
“Hello all! Happy to take on the Boxing Day/2nd Jan shift this year if anyone would rather be off. Would be looking for someone to cover X date in return!”

Absolute guarantee that it’s swapped within 5 mins 🤷🏻‍♀️

🙏

You need to polish up your IT skills and learn about these magical thing called group emails before you start calling others ridiculous. A simple email to the team asking if anyone would be interested in swapping would do the job nicely with minimal nagging pressure from entitled colleagues.

Wow, e-mails! No town crier required.

I agree it's up to management but I still think need outweighs want.

What does this mean and who decides which is which??

No one "needs" anything re Christmas; it's all a want.

Ask for bribes? OP could make out like a bandit. 😂

Don’t wanna come across all saucepan-bangy but thanks OP for what you do, I recently called 111 and they had the good sense to get an ambulance for me and god knows what would have happened if they hadn’t.

Also yeah bollocks to them, have Xmas off. Just look at them like they’re simple and say “it’s almost like people without kids have friends and family they’d like to celebrate with”, then walk away shaking your head.

It's not 'need', it's 'want'. Unless there is a very good reason why a parent should be given dispensation not to work - and management make the appropriate arrangements/payment for cover - then there is no difference.

A parent's want to spend time with their children is no more worthy than anybody else's' want to spend time out of work.

The phrase 'Be Kind' is now used as part of emotional blackmail. The OP isn't responsible for other people's children's Christmas experience.

I can see people needing Christmas day off, if they have caring responsibilities that they can't get covered on that day - childcare for someone who is a single parent, or where both parents work in 24/7, 365 day a year jobs - if you can't get anyone to look after your children on Christmas day (when I imagine childcare will be very hard to find), then yes, you do need Christmas off. Similarly if someone is helping to care for a disabled or elderly relative, or if they have a terminally ill relative, who won't live to see another Christmas - they might need the day off.

But unless there are circumstances where there is an actual need to have the day off, even parents of young children need to take their turn on the Christmas day rota.

Frankly, it strikes me as pretty selfish to, in effect, say to one's child free colleagues "I am a parent, and therefore I will not work any Christmas day, and if that means that you have to work every single Christmas, and don't get to see your family and loved ones, that's fine by me!"

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius If you're a single parent and you don't have family help then you don't do the kind of job that requires you to work on bank holidays.

“Yeah but yeah but yeah but…..MY children will be paying YOUR pension and wiping YOUR arse when you can’t do it any more! So you OWE me!”

Family help can fall through, though, @MargotBamborough - and not everyone has the privilege to be able to choose their job. They may be forced, by their financial circumstances to get, or to stay in a job that requires Bank Holiday working. They may not be able to find a job that pays the same, but gives them Bank Holidays off.

If they want the pay that goes along with having to work some bank holidays, they have to find a way of being able to work the bank holidays though.

It's not fair to take that kind of job and then opt out of the bank holidays part of the package and expect your colleagues to pick up the slack. It's not their fault you don't have childcare.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · Today 10:41

Family help can fall through, though, @MargotBamborough - and not everyone has the privilege to be able to choose their job. They may be forced, by their financial circumstances to get, or to stay in a job that requires Bank Holiday working. They may not be able to find a job that pays the same, but gives them Bank Holidays off.

Not their colleagues’ problem.

I don't think you must have read my example. I didn't say in the OPs particular circumstances. I said if some was a carer for a disabled person or single parent with no family and all respite/childcare is closed Christmas day. That's clearly a case of need as there is no alternative.

@Wheresthebeach agree with you about emotional blackmail.

Perhaps those whose parents work sometimes at Christmas or over other holiday periods may grow up not being the kind of people who expect shops open at all hours but never work weekends themselves.

HNRTFT but just to say,I worked Christmas Days as RN before I had children and always had New year off . Once I had children I was lucky to work with colleagues who were really not bothered about me being off Christmas Day and I worked over the New Year .
It just depends on everyone’s circumstances and I certainly would never have felt ‘entitled’ to have the day off . People have many reasons for preferring too work or not on Christmas Day .
Enjoy your Christmas OP .

Do not feel bad you are just as entitled to the day off. Working in a 7 day service means having to work Christmas some years for everyone.
Having managed health care teams for several years the Christmas rota is always the hardest to do. There are some that are always happy to work Christmas, some that hate it (and will most probably call in sick) and some that are indifferent.
I always try and make it fair. Those that worked last year get this year off. If those that are off wish to swap shifts then that is their choice but absolutely do not feel pressured.

In a large number of instances the phrase be kind is another way of saying be a mug, it's really been overdone.

@MargotBamborough and @MrsSkylerWhite - I wasn't saying that this was their colleagues' problem - I was replying to the comment that (having Christmas off) was a want not a need. I also said it was selfish to say, in effect, that child free colleagues should have to work every Christmas, and don't deserve to spend it with their loved ones, and that workers with children should take their turn on the Christmas rota.

I read it perfectly, thank you. For 'parent' read any person. I don't make the distinction, other people do.

Need is something that must be addressed by the employer - not the colleagues of the person who wants to have time off. How is that such a difficult concept for so many people?

Well, I suppose they do think they're 'entitled' to ask. In my view, they should not even be doing that.

The assumption that they are somehow more worthy, or that their lives are more important because they've had children, is crass. It shows absolutely no empathy for the fact that some people might really be struggling with their non-parenthood status, or have reasons of their own why this time matters to them. Christmas can be a difficult time for many, especially the bereaved or those going through difficult times in life.

People should be under no compulsion to discuss such issues on account of another colleague deciding they are of more importance and deserve priority because ... reasons.

It's the same attitude encountered when THAT parent wants a passenger to exchange plane seats to accommodate their families, or who allows their child to be a PITA in restaurants, and other similar scenarios. We've all encountered them.

I don't talk to colleagues about my private life and I've never made my status as a mother a reason not to carry out particular duties. And if issues have arisen surrounding illnesss/disability or whatever, these should be discussed with a Line Manager who can then incorporate them into the rota arrangement as they deem appropriate.

It's not for colleagues to put other colleagues on the spot in this way. IMO, that's most unprofessional.

Anyone who thinks harassing the OP is okay is also an entitled cheeky fucker 😊

YANBU, it's what people sign up for when they take the job.

I worked as a 999 call handler for an ambulance service when my daughter was younger and I somehow ended up with every Christmas day off, but I always shift swapped to do a Christmas night shift - unsocial hours payments were brilliant, we usually wore party clothes to work and had a buffet and it was always a pretty q-word night. Then I'd go home, sleep a bit and do Christmas with my husband and daughter on boxing day instead.

After call handling I ended up in training and actually interviewed a few cohorts for the 999 call handler role, and couldn't believe the number of people saying they wanted the job but couldn't work Christmas. Like... Do you understand the job you're applying for? They seemed to think they were the first parents to ever apply for the job.

My mums a nurse and always worked Christmas Day, honestly it never effected us at all, there’s plenty other days over the festivities. We used to get up really early so she would see us open our presents, people with families just have to find their own way to still make it nice, it’s not your problem.