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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:
comeouuttoplay · 23/12/2023 06:03

I never take any annual leave around Christmas, it's a total waste.

I work from home and probably won't even open my laptop next week.

One year I was in New York during that time on holiday.

I don't feel bad about it at all.

gdaysport · 23/12/2023 07:13

That’s just smart planning.

I never book annual leave the first week of January. All the bosses are on holiday, my industry is quiet. It’s def mouse wiggling week. Why do you care?

Tokek · 23/12/2023 09:53

The thing you should be angry about OP is that, as evidenced by so many here, a large number of companies force their staff to take those three days out of their already limited leave allowance.

Zanatdy · 23/12/2023 09:57

Well if there’s zero work to do they could have a shut down, but otherwise some people need to be in. I am working 28/29th, I would have take it off but colleague has younger kids so I am happy to work. It’s much quieter so it will be nice to catch up on stuff plus I’ve offered to help out with some work that’s for a bit of a backlog formed.

FrostieBoabby · 23/12/2023 09:58

We are open for business next week but hardly anyone will contact us. Great opportunity to catch up, clear out emails and if I'm totally stuck for something to do, I'll start setting stuff ready for the new FY in April.

wutheringkites · 23/12/2023 10:15

You don't have an annual leave problem, you have a team management problem.

If this person is as slack as you say, they should be performance managed.

Scarlettpixie · 23/12/2023 10:49

Your problem is that you have a slacker. Most people are not one.

i do an office job (lawyer) and I work from home. I am working between Christmas and new year and have a ton of work planned. I have kept thinking I will do that next week when it’s quiet and probably have more planned now than I will manage. It is a great time to get your head down as less interruptions. We have to have cover so some of us have to be in. I am off first week of Jan instead.

Doingmybest12 · 23/12/2023 12:38

There are always slackers in every team. I think you mostly have to ignore amd just conduct yourself in the way you are happy with. I think the Christmas working is a red herring OP as you can work if you want to and probably do as much or little as you feel fair. If offices are open they generally need skeleton staff available, if I am working ,generally I feel I am making a bit of a sacrifice to allow others to take leave. I'd be a bit annoyed if I felt others were judging me for what I did during that time.

SchnauzerLady · 23/12/2023 17:38

You’ve obviously never met anyone from the accountancy profession! We have 30/1 as our biggest deadline and getting a lot done in the time between Xmas and new year without client calling etc is a bonus!

YDBear · 23/12/2023 18:02

Always hated the idea of being forced to take leave between Christmas and New Year and it coming out of my annual leave entitlement. Annual leave is time I take off when I want to take it. If I am happy to work next Wednesday to Friday, it pisses me off to be told that I can’t and I’m losing three days leave into the bargain because other people can’t be arsed to go to work. Luckily, because I work in the news business, I usually don’t have forced time off.

Daisies12 · 23/12/2023 18:04

YABVU to suggest it’s deceitful. If you have the choice to take AL or not, that’s an individual decision. It’s not your fault if it’s quiet. You assume everyone actually likes and / or celebrates Christmas.

Daisies12 · 23/12/2023 18:05

Employers shouldn’t force staff to take AL around Christmas, totally inappropriate. Either give the choice or close and give it on top of AL

Trillie · 23/12/2023 18:13

I always used to work at that time and often I was covering things that weren’t my normal role, I was definitely working. Why don’t you mind your own business and concern yourself with your own life?

PoppyTries · 23/12/2023 18:24

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

Spotted the fellow banker? My team is all expected in office the rest of the week and we will be very busy.

Jenkibubble · 23/12/2023 18:38

Nor deceitful at all .
If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em.
It may be quiet , but they have to be IN the office (if WFH then different but still can’t be out the house / away from work station ) but quiet nonetheless - depending on line of work !
Some places insist AL days are taken if they are shut down.
We have concessionary days in addition to AL where we aren’t open !

moaningmyrtle4 · 23/12/2023 19:13

I haven’t taken off Xmas holiday period in years. Best time to get work done as no meetings. No messages etc. assuming others don’t have anything to do may be based on very specific industries as every job I’ve had I’ve been busy with work

telestrations · 23/12/2023 19:18

If your contract does not require you to take this time off (paid or unpaid) then you are entitled to be paid if there is work or not, or you are required to be in or not.

Many employers have an official or unofficial "extra time off" or "standby" policy for this time and it's considered an extra perk.

HRTQueen · 23/12/2023 19:22

It’s neither

they are not at home and are at work and will do things as needed

we always are able to cover Christmas and NY many people don’t want to be at home for too long as they want to avoid family meet ups (NHS MH)

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 23/12/2023 19:38

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.

Why is this different, from your perspective? Most places require a "presence" just in case, if they didn't they'd close the offices entirely, which some companies do. I could be in, which would mean I'd need to have my laptop on, respond if needs be, if anything did go wrong deal with it and not actually be "off". Yes I could walk away a bit more often but I'm still on the clock, I'm still responsible for things that happen or don't happen during that time. Because I wanted to focus on my little one, I saved my AL to be properly off. Pre children (and probably sometimes in the future too) I used the fact that we had less external contact during this time to catch up, organise, tie up loose ends and get myself and the team prepped for rhe onslaught once everyone else was back. Work doesn't vanish because it's Christmas.

JWhipple · 23/12/2023 19:40

Why does it bother you what people might do or not do on a couple of days of the year?
The last few years I've had a very stressful job. For various reasons we work over Christmas in case of an emergency. Are you going to begrudge me taking it easy if there's no work come in? I'm still at work. I'm still checking emails and responding should anything come in. I'm still linking with colleagues should the need arise.making plans etc.

Have a word with yourself.

Unless you've been visited by three ghosts in the night and they've done it for you.

Guttedme · 23/12/2023 20:01

Not working and not paid for the period in between Christmas and New Year. The public break seems to be my only time off.

I’ve watched another temp who started 2 days before me, take over 5 weeks of holiday in the two months duration. And if the break between Xmas and new year isn’t enough they’ve booked leave in the first week of January!! If I was bad in the past I haven’t seen anything.

AnneValentine · 23/12/2023 20:20

Abitboring · 22/12/2023 17:07

I ask because I have a slacker on my team, I am not the boss. They have burned through all their AL quickly and are generally sketchy. If the first meeting is at 11am, they often won't begin work until 11. Clock off early as well. And so on. They are 'away' a lot and you can tell. Now they have no AL left, but will be 'working' next week. There will be nothing to do, unless you are someone self motivated and choose to tidy up your desktop a bits or pieces like that or prepare something for when business resumes in Jan. I just can't see them do it with this attitude. It looks like they are in a minority.

By all means, I did not intend to offend anyone. I am quite self motivated and passionate about what I do myself, but do love a good work life balance and a bit of flexibility without constant piss taking.

it had not occured to me that a company may not close offices to not disadvantage those who don't celebrate Christmas but celebrate other things. This is a valid point.

You’re ridiculous.

turn it around

you’re basically suggesting people cannot take leave they want and they should save it so they can take it off now when they’re quite happy to be on call / cover the office. You know how Xmas works. If you want to work then don’t take leave. Not rocket science.

Ohitsawonderfultime · 23/12/2023 20:22

Last year I worked during Xmas and New Year. I got lots of admin tasks and forward planning done for the new year. It is a great time to do the little tasks that you never get round to. We don’t need to always operate at 100% capacity it’s ok to have quiet times.

milveycrohn · 23/12/2023 20:30

My DS office based will be working during those days, and when I say working, I mean working, even if he is WFH.
There are projects to be completed on time, and many things are time dependent.
Not all office based jobs are just moving their mouse about.
Not all offices close, either.

maddiemookins16mum · 23/12/2023 21:25

We’re closed for the Wed, Thu, Friday next week. As soon as our annual leave restarted on the 1st Jan 2023, we have to use three days of AL for that time.

I’m pretty confident that there aren't millions of office workers gettin extra paid holidays, they are either using annual leave or having to take it unpaid, but most companies make you book it as AL.