Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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:
thegirlwithemousyhair · 23/12/2023 21:27

Yes, YABU. Not all of us are twidding our thumbs in the few days between Christmas and NY. How many hours over our contract do we do and and never get paid for? As far as I'm concerned, its a case of swings and roundabouts.

Fieldofbrokenpromises · 23/12/2023 21:31

passionate about what I do

🤮

ExtraOnions · 23/12/2023 21:34

Company I work for closes between Christmas and New Year … you have to take A/L, but, we have a very generous a/l allowance to cover it

MsMaraschino · 23/12/2023 22:09

When I was working in an office I used to love those days between Xmas and new year. It’s a very busy time in my industry, with lots of people out on site working, but only a few of us in the back office. I could play music, spend as long as I liked on my work, and work all night if I wanted to. And all at time and a half. The only down side was that the heating was turned off so you had to wrap up warm. Ah, happy days.

Snuffey · 23/12/2023 22:14

So everyone who works in an office, irrespective of religion, should be forced to take the entire time off? I already waste enough leave days on Christian holidays, I'd much rather save my leave for holidays I actually celebrate.

aSwarmOfMidgies · 23/12/2023 22:15

Well obviously yes because everyone who works in an office does the exact same job

Fluffmum · 23/12/2023 22:27

I work inbetween as I’d rather be off in February on hols. Why do you care?

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 23/12/2023 22:30

GaryLurcher19 · 22/12/2023 22:12

What makes you think people in offices have nothing to do, OP? I've been an office worker a few times over the years and 'quiet' time like this is when we got on top of mandatory audits etc...

Our audits were always in Jan/Feb (and probably still are) so we started preparing for them at the end of December. Making sure docs they might ask for were scanned, checking the SOPs were up to date. Between Christmas and NY was a good time to get on top of that.

Plmnki · 23/12/2023 22:35

Are you the same person who timed their colleagues’ breaks?

You sound a bit tedious. Who made you boss of all uk business, out of interest?

Flandango · 23/12/2023 22:37

I will be working between Xmas and New Year. And will be gleefully doing fuck all. I take my holiday during the busy periods of the year, why would you waste holiday over Xmas when working is a good excuse to avoid relatives and kick back whilst working half arsed

Skybluepinky · 23/12/2023 23:40

I couldn’t think of anything worse than being stuck at work with nothing to do.

sgtmajormum · 24/12/2023 00:10

The company I work for always shut down for the Christmas week. We have to save 3 days AL to cover this. Or we take it as unpaid leave.

Other companies I've worked for have a skeleton staff in (usually we drew straws to each work one day). That also works fine, there was rarely any work to be done so was a about presenteeism.

Out of the two I prefer to save my AL and get the week off over Xmas which is good when you have kids

mantyzer · 24/12/2023 02:30

It is up to businesses whether they make some people work this period or not. In a previous office job I always worked these days because there was very little work to do, a party atmosphere, and the boss always sent us home very early each day anyway.
But in my current job those who work are quite busy and do not get to go home early. So I take annual leave.

Philaroy · 24/12/2023 05:10

If you are at work or working from home and your office has no work to do that is not the staffs fault, the people who dont use their annual leave at christmas are free to make that choice and accept any consequences or lack thereof.

Im getting middle management vibes from op, competent enough to rise above minion but too petty to actually be an effective manager and hit those higher ranks.

Why on earth would you care how someone uses their leave. Your either jealous of a co worker or hate the fact your underlings wont be worked to the bone

Tearswontdry · 24/12/2023 05:48

Our firm is closed at Christmas and the time off is a ‘freebie’. This is the first place I’ve worked like this and it does make a huge difference. Normally I’d be working as all AL goes on childcare etc.

Rosebel · 24/12/2023 05:51

My ex used to work at a company who ran A/L from the 20th December to the 20th December the following year. They were totally closed down over Christmas and got fed up with people not having A/L left so they changed the dates A/L ran from.

Singlespies · 24/12/2023 05:55

I often used to work between Christmas and New Year because it was a way of not using up holiday, a good excuse not to do long extended stays with family and I used to get loads done because the office was quiet. I now work for a company that gives us those days as extra holiday (E.g. doesn't come from annual leave) but there are two people who do continue (names unknown) to get the final invoices of the year out and money in.

Ukrainebaby23 · 24/12/2023 06:24

It's a weird question, companies normally plan firvthis and let employees know they have to save annual leave for enforced closures. For example our nursery is closed Friday 22 to Jan 2 and their staff have to take 3 says annual.leave to cover Wed Thur Fri betwixtmas.

It's normal and been the same for years, are you very young or new to the country?

LaDamaDeElche · 24/12/2023 07:49

Agree with this.

luckyc26 · 24/12/2023 08:44

Your post sounds very bitter OP.

There are countless reasons as to why someone could choose to work or not work during that period, but ultimately it boils down to the fact that unless a business mandates a full office close down, it’s each person’s legal right to choose when they take their annual leave.

Frankly, it doesn’t matter if they have work to do or not, providing they are present and ready to respond if needed. If their manager has approved their leave throughout the year, and is aware that employee isn’t taking leave over Christmas, how is that in any way deceitful?

Southlondonbynature · 24/12/2023 08:51

I work in share dealing, the stock market will be open and we need to close trades so there is a team that will be in the office /wfh to do this

It will be normal working days 27-29 December

NearlyMonday · 24/12/2023 09:12

Your post sounds very bitter OP.

Totally agree @luckyc26

Tokek · 24/12/2023 09:39

Skybluepinky · 23/12/2023 23:40

I couldn’t think of anything worse than being stuck at work with nothing to do.

I agree if you're in the kind of setting where you have to look busy regardless, but if you can read a book then having that extra time to relax when we all work far too hard for most of the year sounds lovely.

I wonder how many people in the kinds of jobs in which you have to be professionally qualified ever have nothing to do, though. Surely there's always CPD/research to do.

MollyButton · 24/12/2023 09:46

Well I have some real "work" to do next week. I also have some training to catch up on, and some admin that I've been saving for next week (all 3 days of it).
If an employer requires anyone to be in between Christmas and New Year then they should make sure there is work. Also flexitime helps as it ensures if you work short days you are using your own time.

VanGoghsDog · 24/12/2023 09:53

"it’s each person’s legal right to choose when they take their annual leave."

No, it's not. Employers can impose holiday dates and many do. Teachers and other school staff are the obvious ones, but lots of employers have a two week shut down or tell teams when they can be off. They legally have to give a certain amount of notice, and can only turn down requests for operational reasons and must allow (statutory) leave to be taken in the leave year.

But noone has an absolute right to choose when the take their (statutory, the employer can do what they like with any leave over statutory amounts) leave when they choose.

Swipe left for the next trending thread