Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About those who don't take annual leave between Christmas and NY

253 replies

Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:42

Some people in office jobs have nothing to do between Christmas and NY. I don't mean all, but some as businesses are closed etc.

Is it clever have no annual leave left but be effectively off work during those days?

Or is it deceitful to use up all annual leave during the rest of the year and then have nothing left for those days but be kind of off anyway?

OP posts:
ANightmareBeforeChristmas · 22/12/2023 16:46

I don't think it's either. It's within the gift of any workplace to enforce A/L between those dates, if they don't then they accept some people may be 'working' with little to do.

You would still have to be effectively on call during the period so it isn't as if you'd have total freedom even if you were Wfh.

User69371527 · 22/12/2023 16:48

Not sure why it affects you?
this year and some others I’m choosing to work a couple of days in between. It means I don’t get that lovely chunk of time completely off work, but it is quiet, I can clear some admin and the kids have childcare with family or are just generally happy mooching around.

Hoglet70 · 22/12/2023 16:49

I'll be working and it will be very quiet (if I see a client over the 3 days I'll die of shock) but I actually have loads of stuff I can get on with. I could sit there and twirl in my chair for 3 days but I would die of boredom.

NearlyMonday · 22/12/2023 16:50

So hypothetically, you could be working in retail, but you’re only really classed as working if you have lots of customers to serve? If your shop is quiet, you’re not really working?

Goinoutalone · 22/12/2023 16:50

We have to have enough annual leave left to cover 2 days and then we “work” one day.

Original poster
Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:51

@NearlyMonday This is about office jobs, not retail. If you keep a shop open you are working. If you move your mouse once a day you are not.

OP posts:
LolaSmiles · 22/12/2023 16:53

I used to like working between Christmas and New Year because I could get through lots of work and be productive without interruptions or additional tasks landing in my inbox.

My work were happy with it because I didn't have children then so had no need to have the Christmas holidays off.

MargotBamborough · 22/12/2023 16:53

I used to work from home between Christmas and New Year before kids. Someone was supposed to be covering during that time and I was happy for it to be me if I could do it from the warmth of my own home eating Christmas snacks.

It's up to the business to decide if they want to mandate annual leave between Christmas and New Year or not.

BlowDryRat · 22/12/2023 16:53

I have two members of my team working between Christmas and New Year. I've told them all I expect is for them to check and respond to emails at the beginning and end of each day. They're on call if anything happens so not completely off the hook, but otherwise I'm just happy they're doing it so I don't have to!

fedupwithbeinghot · 22/12/2023 16:54

I work in an office but remotely and I'm working those days. So are 3 people in my team. We take advantage of those days to run reports, chase up invoices, general admin etc

Precipice · 22/12/2023 16:54

Some of these people will be WFH.

Why do you ask only about the employees? Rather than whether it's right for employers to force employees to take annual leave at a specific time regardless of the employees' wishes? Why do you think it's your right to decide when people take holiday leave? It's not much of an annual leave if actually a lot of days within it are not at your disposal; it just makes it look like more than it actually is (the same for jobs which count bank holidays as part of the annual leave quota).

TripleDaisySummer · 22/12/2023 16:54

It's within the gift of any workplace to enforce A/L between those dates

One of the companies I worked for did this - there were a few people non Christian not British - who'd wanted to work and save AL for getting back home later in year but were told office closed two days in addition to bank holidays and it came out AL allocation.

soundsys · 22/12/2023 16:55

LolaSmiles · 22/12/2023 16:53

I used to like working between Christmas and New Year because I could get through lots of work and be productive without interruptions or additional tasks landing in my inbox.

My work were happy with it because I didn't have children then so had no need to have the Christmas holidays off.

Edited

Exactly this! Pre-children it was about my most productive time of year 😁

ANightmareBeforeChristmas · 22/12/2023 16:56

TripleDaisySummer · 22/12/2023 16:54

It's within the gift of any workplace to enforce A/L between those dates

One of the companies I worked for did this - there were a few people non Christian not British - who'd wanted to work and save AL for getting back home later in year but were told office closed two days in addition to bank holidays and it came out AL allocation.

Yes, it's a bit crap for people who don't celebrate Christmas.

Original poster
Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:56

@BlowDryRat This is good and you sound like a good boss. It sounds like someone needs to be around 'just in case', which is working. It's nice if work is quiet sometimes.

OP posts:
Hoglet70 · 22/12/2023 16:56

Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:51

@NearlyMonday This is about office jobs, not retail. If you keep a shop open you are working. If you move your mouse once a day you are not.

You are working by the fact that you are there and present. My firm want the office to be pointlessly open and therefore me and my colleague are there. Whether we choose to be productive is up to us, we are there in case someone wants to phone up or come in. We will be productive but that's because we'd die of boredom.

Original poster
Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:57

Precipice · 22/12/2023 16:54

Some of these people will be WFH.

Why do you ask only about the employees? Rather than whether it's right for employers to force employees to take annual leave at a specific time regardless of the employees' wishes? Why do you think it's your right to decide when people take holiday leave? It's not much of an annual leave if actually a lot of days within it are not at your disposal; it just makes it look like more than it actually is (the same for jobs which count bank holidays as part of the annual leave quota).

Got triggered much?

OP posts:
AlisonDonut · 22/12/2023 16:57

I used to get so much done that week, and didn't have to sit and listen to everyone else banging on about shite all day long. It was great.

fatandhappy47 · 22/12/2023 16:57

Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:51

@NearlyMonday This is about office jobs, not retail. If you keep a shop open you are working. If you move your mouse once a day you are not.

Im working between, we have to have people on site... I may only love my mouse once all day though!

MojoDojoCasaHouse · 22/12/2023 16:59

I’m in an NHS back office role and would definitely still be working unless I was lucky that have booked the days off in between. We need cover so negotiation is required on who gets what leave.

Finteq · 22/12/2023 16:59

That time period is the busiest in my job and we are banned from taking leave over Christmas or New Years

ClottedCreamScone · 22/12/2023 17:01

It’s not deceitful if the company allows it. If there is genuinely no business need to be open then the company should close. If there is a need to be open, even though it will be very quiet, then the people manning the helm should be paid as normal.

Original poster
Abitboring · 22/12/2023 17:01

Hoglet70 · 22/12/2023 16:56

You are working by the fact that you are there and present. My firm want the office to be pointlessly open and therefore me and my colleague are there. Whether we choose to be productive is up to us, we are there in case someone wants to phone up or come in. We will be productive but that's because we'd die of boredom.

Show quote history

This is obviously working, especially as you need to be present. It's like being on call, so you are working, even if it's not busy.

OP posts:
RichardMarxisinnocent · 22/12/2023 17:03

MojoDojoCasaHouse · 22/12/2023 16:59

I’m in an NHS back office role and would definitely still be working unless I was lucky that have booked the days off in between. We need cover so negotiation is required on who gets what leave.

Also NHS back office and I'm working next week as I wanted to save the couple of days leave I have left for any unexpected emergencies. I will definitely be actually working, I have shitloads to do for a massive project I'm working on.

NearlyMonday · 22/12/2023 17:04

Abitboring · 22/12/2023 16:51

@NearlyMonday This is about office jobs, not retail. If you keep a shop open you are working. If you move your mouse once a day you are not.

Opening a shop and having no customers sounds about the same as moving your mouse once or twice. You sound very quite anti office staff ?

Swipe left for the next trending thread