Phoning in sick on Christmas Day?

[themanors]

I work as a receptionist in a hotel
I have been told as the newest member of the team I will be working Christmas Day months in advance.
It's 11am -11 pm shift and the same Christmas Eve (my birthday)
It's minimum wage and we won't get paid extra.
My dad is 87 and isn't in the best health and I'm his only family
I'm really scared that this might be his last Christmas and I'm wasting it at work for a company who doesn't care
I asked to swap and was told no
I asked if anyone else wanted to work was told no

Aibu to phone in sick?
Il just add I'm not workshy
I never ring in sick

You know how a business works right?! Of course theyre going to put the price up over a festive period.

look if you dont like it, get another job. You knew what you were signing up for with the potential to work unsociable hours etc

Put your notice in before Christmas if you're still there, make sure you give enough notice as per your contract.

Good thing is you have plenty of time to find another job it’s only august.

Don’t get upset over this put your efforts into finding a new job, it can be done.

As someone who has worked in retail over Christmas it is shit when others won’t help out and 12 hour shifts Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is not fair especially when it can be shared between staff, but as said above be proactive now and look for a new job. Good luck.

So vote with your feet and quit, OP.

At the end of the day, you've chosen to work somewhere that is open on Christmas Day and they don't even give staff who work on Christmas Day extra pay.

Other jobs are available.

But you would be very very very unreasonable to pretend that you are going to work on Christmas Day and then just not show up. Because then someone else who may be enjoying what might be their last Christmas with an elderly relative, or their first Christmas with their new baby, or their first Christmas off in five years, will get a call just as they're sitting down for lunch telling them they have to go in because you haven't turned up.

If I were your manager and you did this, I would fire you. So you may as well leave before Christmas so at least they have time to adjust the rota.

You sound ignorant as fck OP, and I'm starting to understand why it might take you a while to find other employment with your attitude.
Just don't work in hospitality/health care/emergency services - it's so fecking obvious 🫣.
Your poor colleagues, especially if they have young children, elderly relatives or anyone else who depends on them.

Why did you bother asking for opinions when are ignoring everyone's advice? If you don't like it then look for another job. You sound immature and difficult.

Im not sure why you have posted, you clearly dont think you are unreasonable.

As a nurse, who has done more than my fair share of Christmas shifts, I do think ringing in sick would be unreasonable.

You dont want to work Christmas, there is plenty of time between now and then to get a different job

Lying about being sick on Christmas Day is a great way to be sacked, if that's what you want. Put yourself in the manager's position - how would it look?

If I have interpreted this correctly, you have been there less than two years, so can be sacked under a whim, assuming one of the limited exceptions does not apply. New employment protections will not be law by then.

The best course of action I think is to resign nearer the time if you have not got another job. I hope you find one though.

You need to hand your notice in.
It would be morally wrong to say you’re sick and not go in. And someone else covers. There’s loads of hotels open at Christmas it’s normal and part and parcel of working in that industry is isn’t a shock it’s open.
Nothing wrong with not wanting to work on Christmas Day , I also wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t take a job that required it. Just find somewhere else and move on. But don’t ring in sick and drop out last minute that’s shit behaviour.

@themanors Are you religious?

If you are, and Christmas Day in whatever shape is part of that religion, then yes, find a different job.

If you are not, then move the day of the celebration, because it doesn't matter whether you celebrate family time on the 25th, 23rd or 27th.

not at all!

Phone in sick Op....I wouldnt worry about a colleague having to cover you as who in their right mind is going to answer the phone on Xmas day when they see its their boss ringing.

OK your employers are shit and they have allocated the shifts unfairly but your personal circumstances and sense of fairness are not relevant here. You are employed to do a job which includes shifts that your employer decides for you. You have, very reasonably, tried to find a compromise but it hasn't worked.

If you phone in sick now they will know it's because you didn't want to work the shifts you were given and it could end with you getting the sack which will not improve your job prospects and will immediately leave you without an income. It would not be a good idea.

You need to concentrate your energy on finding another job so you can hand in your notice and leave before Christmas.

Why bother asking if you’re just going to get defensive and clearly do it anyway?

You just wanted everyone to come on here and tell you how awful that is and YANBU?

You sound very entitled.

Just celebrate on a different day like the rest of us who work Christmas do 🤷🏻‍♀️

You can do all the same things and can even use iplayer to watch all the tv programs as if it was actually Christmas Day!

Then next year it’ll be someone else’s turn to work and you can have Christmas Day off.

i had a job where the awful other staff told me i would be working Christmas, i sort of worked that out, it was meals on wheels so every day of the year!
i thought, to myself, no, i will have left by then!
which i did,
not because of christmas but because they were AWFUL

This thread is brilliant. It’s like the OP doesn’t understand that people like to go away over Christmas and it is the job of hotels and hotel staff to cater to them.

It's not about 'disappointing' the company it's fraud & the same as stealing from your company.

You can hand your notice in before Christmas & take unpaid leave then reapply in January.

I have always worked jobs that involve Xmas & unsocial hours as do many others & it's usually shitty jobs on low pay but that's tough - apply for something that has the hours you want - School, doctors surgery etc all have better hours.

Its really shit that they've given you both those shifts and not split them fairly between you all. Don't think I'd leave an elderly parent on there own xmas day either but I wouldn't call in sick, I'd leave

How is it fraud and stealing? Presumably if she doesn’t go in, she doesn’t get paid.

OP if your dad is nearly ninety I’m assuming you’re middle aged, not some kid with their first job. You know calling in sick would BU you’re not an idiot. But you’ve been given loads of advice about how you can change things, it’s up to you if you take it.

I’m on nights Xmas eve, day and BD this year 😫 so I’m not exactly overly sympathetic 😂

@themanors why did you even post and ask because you've already made your mind up, regardless of everybody else's comments or thoughts.

Drs aren't lol ... we work a 13h day and get an 8h day in lieu... used to bug me the amount of nurses that were like "oh are you doing it for the money too?". Heck no, that'd be nice when are rota'd 13h days 24-27th for the 7th year running

you can't argue "I did last year" as it was in a different hospital and noone gives a toss if you never get xmas with your family..wish we could do the half days that the rest of theatre teams do but given you don't choose where you work, even if you do get an odd day in thr middle off you can't even go home when it's a 8h return trip home

Yes somewhat bitter. Least labour ward at Xmas is cheerful

Confused why you have come on to ask IYABU - most people have said yes, but you have all these reasons WHY you are not? I worked in a hotel - for years - i never got ONE Christmas off - my sister works for the same hotel now - in 10 years she's also not had ONE Christmas off. People who lie to get days like that off - everyone knows it's a lie - you're shafting someone else over - but like you said - why would you care?! Baffling. Please leave the hotel industry asap.

Find a new job. Or have breakfast with your dad on Christmas Day and exchange presents, then have Christmas dinner together on Boxing Day. Don’t call in sick, it is not fair on whoever will have to cover for you.