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

It’s easier to get a new job whilst you are already in a job. Just keep applying and hopefully you’ll get a new job well before Christmas.
if there’s an exit interview you could say that you are leaving because of the Christmas Day issue, but I doubt whether they would care much or change the way they allocate such shifts.

Why take the job in the first place?
I was a nurse for years I have worked loads of Xmas days ,but when you do a job like that you expect to work unsocial hours
I'm sorry about your Dad but everybody has personal circumstances and yours are no more important than every one else's.

You know the hotel doesn't pay wages out of each individual day's takings, right? Those higher Christmas rates probably allow them to continue to pay staff in February when they're taking fuck all.

🤣🤣have met. Hotel receptionist like this before 😂😂

Your Dad is 87, I also have a parent that age, at that age one day is very much like the next and if you celebrate before or after it would be better than losing your job.

Do you have young children? What is the difference between you working 12 hour shifts on the 25th or the 27th?
My job role involves me working 12 hour shifts over Xmas if I’ve not been lucky enough to get it off in the draw (very rare to get it).
I just plan my own Xmas on a day near to it instead. My teenagers understand that i work in the job that i do and it unfortunately means that involves Xmas too

What?? That's not sheer greed. They're open for people who want to stay away at Christmas.

2x 12 hours shifts Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and not even being paid extra? Fuck that. I presume the hotel is charging inflated costs over Christmas so why aren’t the staffing seeing it? I’d tell them out right I’d not be doing those hours but you’re happy to do your part - if there’s no movement from them I’d just find another job.

You are clearly going to do it whatever anyone else says. If you pick a job that has unsocial hours then you should accept you have to work unsocial hours that are sometimes inconvenient.

😂

Also, literally all hotels are open Christmas day. Getting into that type of work you must understand working Christmas and unsociable hours is part of it. Well obviously not judging by all your replies here.

Do you want a bigger spoon op? Or a heavier chip?

@themanors I doubt there’s anything you could use from that point of view then. Unfortunately it’s the reality of working in hospitality. I’m a retail manager and have to make the scheduling for over Christmas and New Year - it’s not easy!

If it’s really not something you are going to do/be able to do then I would tell them clearly now. Tell them what you are able to do. Dont make it about other staff and what is expected of them. I would avoid calling in sick at Christmas or walking out etc - especially after having made a fuss about working it. Keep in mind you may be needing a reference!

Your dad is a member of your family, hence me calling him a family member.

You've already made your mind up that you're not going in, so why are you asking? Do you need permission from loads of anonymous people on a forum to lie? Why not just tell your employer to stick their job, or tell them you won't be working on Christmas day?

Look for another job now.

Don't ruin someone else's Christmas (because someone will get landed with a no-notice demand)

Others aren't falling over themselves to help because there's a well-established tradition of who gets it, it's not them (and they may have done it in previous years).

As you say the job doesn't pay particularly well, there are probably others you could try. The care sector seems to be permanently recruiting

Go back to your manager and explain that as a carer, you need a shorter day. Would booking your Dad a room be feasible? I don't think that it's the job for you, you look down on it.

It's not greed. If you thought about it just a little bit you would understand that other people want to spend Christmas with their families. Which means getting a hotel room.
Cant you just get you and your dad a room for the day and even book Christmas dinner there.

Otherwise get a new job that doesnt do Christmas working. You have an age to find one now.

If you're easy to replace and you call in sick, I'd be shocked if they didn't sack you. If you're not easily replaced, you may get away with it.

If you're not easily replaced, then you will also get away with being very clear with your manager you're not coming in, or only for x hours and they need to just deal with it. If they'd sack you for that, they'll sack you for calling in sick.

Assuming you're prepared to lose your job over this, there's no way I'd call in sick because simply refusing (or refusing to work more than x hours) might ultimately be accepted. The only question I would be debating is how long I leave it to tell them I'm not coming in.

You have time, so I'd look for another job, and if you can't find one you can turn make the call over whether this is something you're willing to lose your job over (I wouldn't be because it sounds like you need the money - I'd celebrate Christmas on boxing day).

And if you are willing to lose your job, give them some notice (eg tell them the week/a couple of days before). Calling in sick on the day makes you an arsehole.

I work in care and we are 24/7 365 days a year. But Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 12 hour shifts are unreasonable. Poor management there I think. These shifts that , let’s face it , no body wants should be shared out more fairly.
Having said all that if you phone in sick they won’t believe you and probably sack you anyway.

And why should other colleagues have their Christmas ruined if she lies and calls in sick last minute?

One of my sisters is a doctor, and I'm a nurse. It's rare that we have the same day off over the Christmas period and both work long shifts so meeting later one day isn't possible. For the last few years we have just picked a different day as a family (me, mum & my 2 siblings) to have our "Christmas Day". We see other people or do other things on Christmas Day if we can't be together and then have "Christmas Day" on our delegated day - whether it's the 26th, 27th, 28th etc.

As long as we have a special day together it's fine. It never feels like a real Christmas Day until we have our day together.

It’s perfectly reasonable to be upset and wish you could spend Christmas Day with your father. It would be completely unreasonable to phone in sick.

I would prioritise looking for another job. You’re going to need one anyway come January.

Bosses who made this decision could go in?

You have plenty of time to get a new job, OP. I'd focus on that.

The care sector seems to be permanently recruiting

😂Sorry MoggyP but Ops attitude in a carer made me laugh.