Christmas time off

[Girlinblue]

This will be my second Christmas in this job. I work in a team of 5 and we are closed for the bank holidays but other than that there has to be at least 2 people in. Last year I worked Christmas Eve and the days between Xmas and new year. so was hoping that I would have it off this year because surely the fairest way to do this is to take it in turns each year?

Christmas time off has been talked about a few times because we just have to decide between us who is working when. It doesn’t get allocated for us. A couple of the women that I work with have talked about having Xmas off again because they have kids and have things to sort out. I said yes but I don’t really want to work it again because I did it last year and you both were off, so it’s not very fair if the same people are getting it off every time. They are saying that the people with kids should take priority. But just because I don’t have kids doesn’t mean I don’t also have things to prepare and things/traditions of my own. I want to spend time with my family and make plans etc just as much as they do.

I was thinking of bringing it up in a meeting to my manager to say how it needs to be split fairly. Myself and my other child free colleague also deserve to have the time off and our Christmas isn’t any less valuable to those with kids. i know some people don’t care about Christmas and some people do think it’s just for kids. But for me it’s not, I have a big family that I rarely get to see throughout the year and Christmas is the time that I get to see them and spend time with them.

Would I be unreasonable to bring this up further and insist that this should be split fairly each year? How is the best way to do it without causing unnecessary drama?

Absolutely not. This makes me so angry.
Apart from anything else, what if these colleagues of yours said 'people with kids should take priority' to someone who desperately wants kids but, for whatever reason, can't? (I'm assuming from your post that this is not your situation but I'm so sorry if it is).
I'm child-free by choice but can still see how offensive this is.
The only fair way to do it is by yearly rota, and I'd say that to your manager.

Perfectly reasonable to expect it to be fairly shared out - like you say, people who don’t have children can still have family they want to see! Manager is abdicating their responsibilities - if people don’t agree easily between them on something (and on this I wouldn’t expect them to) then manager needs to do what their job title implies and manage by imposing some sort of fair allocation, rota scheme or whatever.

Tell your manager that the system has to be fair.
And if your colleages bitch about it, have a (made-up) story ready about how one of your close family members has an incurable health condition and this will be their last Xmas and they really want you there... or something like that... and see if that changes their attitude

Not fair at all - in our work we all request what we want off and I always work some of it ( Xmas eve this year) even though I have three kids.
Some request all off every year and get it but I can't do that as I don't think it's fair

You'd be perfectly within your rights to raise this with your manager. There should be an allocation which is fair to everyone including consideration of who had the time off last year.

Absolutely you’re right. I would just take the approach of obviously you won’t be working those days again as you did them last year and now have plans so they need to decide between themselves who’s doing it

It's your manager's job to manage the drama. Refuse to work as you did it last year. That's only fair. You could negotiate and offer to cover 23rd and 24th if they work 27th, if you're not overly bothered, but you should absolutely get some time off over Christmas regardless of whether you're a parent or not.

I had this issue in my old job - people with young children always got priority, no matter how early you put your requests in.

I ended up leaving when someone with two children managed to get Christmas Eve and Boxing Day off, even though our contract specified that everyone had to work both (busy retail job) - it just took the absolute piss.

I wasn't the only one to hand in their notice - there's a new manager there now so I have no idea what it's like nowadays.

I’m confused. If you are working Xmas Eve and the days “around” Christmas then you aren’t actually working on Xmas Day or Boxing Day are you?

I wouldn't bother with this, OP doesn't need any reason to want the time off other than she wants the time off. It's nobody's business whether she has a relative at death's door or if she wants to spend the day in her pants eating smoked salmon.

This is why it shouldn't be left for people to decide between themselves. It's a complete cop out by your manager because they don't want to be the bad guy.

Your manager should decide, based on some fair principles (e.g. rotating who has to work each year).

Nope. I have kids but I expect it to be fair and if everyone can’t be off then it’s rotated.

be prepared for if your manager says ok will alternate for those women to say that it’s too late for them to make arrangements for this year so it’ll have to be next year (which will never happen).

if they do try that, you have to then say that as you worked last year, you assumed you wouldn’t have to this year so you’ve also got family arrangements.

this is where your manager or one above them needs to take emotion out of it and go down a fairness route of it’s alternated but people can swap if they’re happy to.

I worked with a woman who was told she couldn’t have Christmas off because Christmas is for kids and her kids were grown and she had a meeting with her manager about it because she said it’s discrimination because she’s Christian and she didn’t work any Christmas after that.

Equality Act protected characteristic.

Exactly.

Your manager needs to manage.

If you worked last year you should get first choice of days off.

They are going to ruin the goodwill that was there by using the child card. Just because you are child free, it does not mean you do not have family.

When they took the job, they must have been aware they would have to cover Christmas occasionally.

Definitely raise it with your manager. Otherwise, it will be the same next year.

Raise it. Otherwise you end up like me, when I worked 7 of them on the trot because the parents in the team got comfortable with having favours done and would threaten HR if they got a sniff of being rota'd on.

I finally put my foot down and it caused an unholy row (involving HR) but I got it off. It's only fair, as you say, and you're not responsible for your colleagues' children.

When some fluffbag mentions that those with kids should take priority and get it off because they have kids, tell them you identify as a family member.

You have family, you have siblings, parents, friends etc. their crotch fruit don't trump your (elderly, infirm, nearly dead?) relatives who's last Christmas on this earth could be this very year! After all, tomorrow isn't promised. My facebook is filled with people saying RIP to someone or other.

You're absolutely right it should be more fair and a good place to start is a rota. Last year in? This year off.

You could always say that you worked it last year so you won't be working it this year.
And just keep saying that. If the managers don't want to be involved make sure the two women know that you won't be coming into work. Don't ask them..tell them

I’m my team, those of us with children tend to live with partners and/or close to extended family whereas my child-free colleagues live alone and quite far from family. If Christmas leave was reserved for people with children, my child-free colleagues would be alone at Christmas every year. For me, as much as I hate to work over the Christmas period, I’d at least come home to my family every evening.

All of us want time off to be with our loved ones, that feeling isn’t reserved for those of us with young children.

Completely agree with you.

Management should have taken the initiative of making it clear there is a yearly rota for Christmas where everyone will be expected to cover the Christmas period one year and then be off the following year.

No exception.

Anything else is discriminating against child free and single people.

If your manager is too weak then refer the issue to HR.

The OP’s post is perfectly clear. Her workplace is closed on the bank holidays, it’s who should work the days around those that is in question. The OP worked those days last year so it’s only fair she should get them off this year.

Well that’s embarrassing.

Absolutely not unreasonable. I’m a parent myself but I would still consider your time as valuable as mine.

Wrong thread 😆