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?

YANBU. Christmas Day is for everyone. I work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day every second year. I have never asked anyone to swap because I have children. It's only fair everyone should have a chance at Christmas Day off.

I don't understand why people think it should either be a yes or a fuck off. Surely there's a middle ground.

What's wrong with someone asking to swap because they have children and someone else saying "no sorry, I haven't had Christmas with my family for a few years so I'm looking forward to it this year" or something along those lines.

It's not necessarily entitled to think someone without children might be willing to swap for another day. Especially if you get paid more for working Christmas day and a free new year's eve might be on the table instead.

Everyone deserves a turn at Christmas off. I had to cover Christmas eve once, told I had to be in the office. No one rose came in. No one. Out of 150 people. I was shit scared and spent two hours at early lunch shopping then went home. But I did it. Got the next one off. I was happy to take my turn ( although I did think making me go in, while everyone else wfh was very mean).

Why is there such an assumption that those without children love NYE? I'd much rather have Christmas off. New years I'll be in bed by 10.

I know. Dc are disabled and as a single parent with no family left (husband bailed as not man enough to cope with disabled children) I had to sacrifice a successful career in the end.

I guess it's not really the point of the thread in the OPs case but I was just trying to show that sometimes it's necessity to have Christmas off.

Enjoy your Christmas - don't cave.

These parents must know that they may have to do a Christmas shift, they should get different jobs if they don't like it

There's 000s of children whose parents aren't together who celebrate Xmas on a day other than the 25th. Anyone asking you needs to get over themselves.

In reality, there are very few people prepared to look after unrelated children on Christmas day.

So the choice is really just whether the parent takes the day as holiday or as some other form of leave (unpaid/emergency etc.).

@Mulhollandmagoo exactly why i left one of my jobs too. Booked xmas hols off as it was a family wedding and family were coming home from Australia and other parts of the world to it and some were staying with us, some who hadnt been home in years. I was feeding nearly 50 people between xmas day and st stephens day( my choice and wish before anyone jumps down on me), was looking forward to it. Purposely didn't take too much hols either during the year so had them for xmas. Pulled into boss end of Nov as another colleague put in her request on that date for xmas off too, was told as didnt have children i had to work over xmas, regardless that i had put my request in Jan that year and was apprpved, the other girl had thrown a hissy fit when she heard i had it booked off. I protested but didnt listen to me. By coincidence i had been thinking iof changing jobs and had been looking on quite, but wasnt planning on seriously looking till after xmas, i managed to get an interview and took another jib to start end of Jan year after as i had built up hols i handed in my notice and was able to finish 20th December, told them the exact reasons to HR, Miss Hissy fit had to work over xmas and because she thought she knew better didnt listen to me on handover nor follow my notes and made huge f ups. the shop floor told her it was karma -she wasnt liked there either

OP - enjoy your day off , put on your hard bitch face and let the rest f off

Stay strong. I'm holding firm against the outrage of my colleagues, who regard me as deeply selfish for not working my EIGHTH Christmas in a row.

You'll no doubt get #bekind rubbish on this thread but frankly I've no truck with that as it never goes both ways.

YANBU in the least.

Has anyone actually said to you can you cover my day as you don't have children?

Christmas is for family. It's not just for kids but it's the last Christmas that you spend with Granny, or the first Christmas your sister is home from abroad with her kids that you've never met. It's the Christmas that might be your dad's last one. Or the first Christmas in your new home or with a new puppy or whatever.

Or it might just be that you are done doing everyone elses shitty shifts and never getting any leeway back yourself.

I have a job that I never have to do Christmas but if I did, I'd do the roster and not cave to any fucker trying to guilt me out of my own really important family moments of my own.

Wear a badge say "Don't even ask"

There are ALWAYS parents with young children. When those children grow up, others have had more to replace them. If they got priority, the childfree would never get Christmas off at all.

Arguably, those with young children have the maximum number of years left to enjoy Christmas with them. Those with elderly parents are often on a limited Christmas Day budget.

In fact, you could tie yourself in a tizz trying to work out the 'most deserving' and so, it's fairer for everyone to take a turn at it. So, OP, YANBU to keep your Christmas Day off - and enjoy it!

I don't agree, childhood is much shorter than adult hood, therefore fewer Christmases statistically

stay strong and polite.

for a different perspective - I have three children. my husbands work means he often is on the Rota to work. He has missed every “first Christmas” for our kids. He also misses birthdays and school plays. we knew this would be the case when we decided to have a family. We don’t beg for special treatment.

I absolutely would not expect to be put over any of his other colleagues. We’ve never asked for this reason. We are not more important.

it’s not easy news for them to swallow but you are also totally deserving. have a lovely Christmas op xx

Honestly I don't understand why this day is even vaguely important unless you are highly religious or you have young kids. Just sit in front of the telly and eat mince pies the day after?

If I want to sit in front of the TV in my PJs and guzzle mincepies and gin all over Christmas because that's how I planned to spend it, how does that make me less worthy of the time off?

Thankfully I don't have a job where it's a requirement anymore.

Well, quite. But if you did still have a job that required it, would you be one of those people asking OP to switch with you, or not?

Depending on how they have asked, you may be taking it too personally.
I always used to swap onto Christmas day/ Boxing Day/ New Years if I could in my twenties- double pay for a shift and it was always a happy one to work. I come from a family that has a lot of people who have jobs that might need them to work Christmas Day so we often do our main event all together a few days after and always have done. Making it that precise day isn't a big thing for us and we'd rather make sure we were all together.

Obviously your family is in no way lessor (I have young children myself now) but as long as there is no pressure I see no harm in an enquiry. If you didn't celebrate the day for religious reasons it would be a pretty rubbishy day to have off with nothing open.

That's fine you can work every Xmas then
In reality it should be fair and everyone should get to.have Xmas off sometimes if you work in a job requiring you to.work it.

Not unless you actually want to!

What an odd question! You can work on whatever days you please (within your employment contract terms, obviously). For most people, Christmas Day is a public holiday anyway. For essential services employees, annual leave is determined by the needs of the service, so they may be required to work on public holidays.

I've never been put in that position as I've never had a job that requires working on Christmas day, but I'm pretty sure as an adult pre-kids, I would have swapped in a heartbeat, I have spent several Christmases away from family

YABU to think you don't deserve to have the day off.

I hope that the large amount of people that are saying YANBU are not answering the actual question you asked!

My parents worked every Christmas Day, it's fine, I'm not traumatised by it. I understood it was their job, and when I was little I didn't know what day it was so they just moved the dates