Completely shafted over in the christmas rota

[Mysticcatmum]

I work in a call centre

Everyone has to work 2 out of the 3 bank holidays, I put in my preferred date of Xmas off

I have been scheduled to work Xmas day, new years eve and day

I then have the parents of toddlers asking me to cover their Christmas eve shifts as I am 'childless'. I have found out that the same people do infact have off Xmas day

Apologies, more of a rant but AIBU to be sick of the mentality of 'christmas is for kids'?! Despite me adoring the holiday

@Emmz1510 OP isn't working, said they have the 3 bank Holidays off.
Don't forget pubs and restaurants etc. open as well, care workers, taxis.

As a parent I wouldn’t expect someone to cover my shift because I’m childless. Also I don’t agree with working Christmas and new year should be one or the other and they swapped the following year.

As a care worker I used to work Christmas eve and all of new year but not Christmas day. I did have one care worker with your argument in front of a client as well - I think their should be a fair balance - alternate years working Christmas day maybe?

Kids want their parents with them at Christmas. Kids also want the presents that working parents can provide! Having kids is your choice, not your co-workers'. If you are in an industry that works over holiday periods then whether you have kids or not, you take your turn on the rota or switch to a job that has a holiday shutdown

I knew in my bones you were going to say that. I used to do that job and it always really bothered me that Christmas Eve was considered a normal working day. With small kids I I would rather work a late Christmas Day than a late Christmas Eve (when I had the job of Father Christmas to do!).

I managed a couple of years and then left - mainly due to shift patterns and the lack of understanding from rota about shift swaps.

I think you are being a little unreasonable to be bothered though - it’s really common to ask for shift swaps and no one is trying to upset you, they are just trying to organise complicated lives (there is no childcare open over Xmas). They are ok to ask and are well within your rights to just say no - nothing to get worked up about.

I used to be given certain tasks to do over wknds (which I don’t work so such tasks were unpaid & to be completed in my own time) as I “didn’t have family”. I maybe didn’t have children at that point but I still had family I wished to spend time with. I found the simple answer to such requests was no & I requested a fairer distribution of work responsibilities to all in our team. I don’t stay there much longer as it became apparent this wasn’t going to happen. If this can’t be looked at / addressed, I’m afraid I’d be looking for alternative employment opportunities.

How do they decide who works what days? Is it a computer or a person? What are their metrics for deciding?

if you have worked there a number of years and always get Xmas day then ask why?

just because you don’t have kids doesn’t mean you don’t want to relax and enjoy.

the people can ask you to swap shifts and you can say no. If you decide to swap shifts then get it in writing and sent to a manager. When I was young I worked shifts and I covered Xmas day and they were meant to do my NYD. They didn’t show up for work on Jan 1st and I got in trouble. Luckily it was back in the days of time cards so mine showed I worked and they didn’t.

Coming from a person with two children, I find this totally unfair! It has to be done fairly, why should the people with kids miss out. Yes it sad for those with kids but that doesn't give them priority. Tell them you have plans Xmas eve and are not available to do both

Sounds more like jealousy and resentment of the parents that have kids

Hi OP this is not at all fair - I think it happens in a lot of workplaces that people without young kids end up working an unfair amount at Christmas (same happens to daughter who is a social worker, happened to me when I worked in NHS). It really isn't fair because lots of us want to be with our family and friends and it should be divvied out so everyone takes their turn. It's a different thing if people kindly offer to cover shifts for people with young kids but it shouldn't be assumed that just 'cos you are childless you don't want to be around your loved ones at this time of the year.
OP hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year x

Not a cow, but pretty foolish, because you'd just be cutting off your nose to spite your face, left unemployed before Christmas and likely with a bad reference, because you left them in the lurch and demanded special treatment beyond everyone else.

How should it be "sorted" exactly? EVERYONE has to work 2 bank holidays. OP is working 2 bank holidays. She'd look like a complete muppet to kick off and demand it be "sorted."

If I was her manager I'd say "fair enough, you don't want to work Christmas Day and New Year's Day, you can work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day then. Sorted."
Still 2 bank holidays, so perfectly within 'the rules' but an even worse pattern for someone who "loves Christmas"

I hope all the posters telling OP "Just tell them no" "Tell them you've already made plans" "Demand they 'sort it'" "Phone in sick" "Quit your job" because she....shock horror....has to work over Christmas in a job that makes clear before you even apply that it will involve...working over Christmas, are happy if they need to call for an ambulance for their family member on Christmas Day and can't get one because all the staff have taken their advice.

But OP hasn't been shafted. She got 1 of the 3 bank holidays off, as per the rule. Yes, some parents are asking to swap to have Christmas eve off too, but unless somehow management is trying to force OP to agree to this then OP can just say no.

The 1 of 3 is a known rule, likely known by OP (and everyone else) when taking the job. OP must have known there was only 33% chance of it being Christmas Day. Usually people in these set ups have to come up with an alternative plans and traditions if that's a job they're going to stay in.

That sucks. It’s a shame they’re giving the 3 BHs equal footing and igniting NYE altogether. Lots of people wouldn’t be bothered about working Boxing Day or NYD - they’re hardly on a par with Xmas day. I think if it’s your year to work Xmas day, then you should get the pick of the other days off. And a firm no to covering parents’ Xmas eve shifts. I’m sorry OP, you’re getting a crappy deal there. But thank you for the work you do. As a mum of 3 I’ve called 111 more than my fair share of times. Hope you have a lovely time when you do get some time with your family.

You sort of are and sort of are not!

have you discussed it with anyone? You don’t have to cover for other people but honestly if you are childless you won’t realise that Christmas really is so much ‘more’ for most kids than it is adults.

IMHO!

are you going to be there next year? Can you suggest people either work Christmas or New Year? Can you ask the most desperate person who wants a swap to do your NY if you do their Christmas?

My husband gets Xmas day and New Years day off as his unit is closed those day. He always asks for Xmas eve off but in return always offers to work Boxing Day and NYE so people can go out. It requires give and take but the assumption should not be of you have kids you get all of Christmas off whilst people with no children work them all. Your answer is ‘yes, if you take my Xmas day instead’ see what they say then!

Just say no

If they need to have everyone work 2 of the 3 holidays, and have roughly the same cover on every shift, then it's basic maths that about a third of the staff will have to work both Christmas and New Year. They should rotate though, so the same people don't have to work Christmas Day every year.

No I don’t think they’re being unreasonable really to be honest. Christmas is for kids and if you don’t have them you don’t really know what it’s like to have young kids at Christmas. When I had a job like this I always offered to work Xmas so I could have new year off. Most parents don’t do much new year whereas I’d prefer to go out with friends. I know you’re already working Xmas day and new year which is a lot anyway in my opinion but I can definitely understand parents not being able to work Xmas Eve.

Like i said before if Christmas is for kids then the carol singers should just forget visiting nursing homes and just go to the nurseries and child minders instead. 🙄

So my parents shouldn't see me at Christmas because I don't have children?

Hope @Sundownmemories doesnt suddenly develop memory loss when her future grown up children come across the same attitude from their employers

Completely different. Christmas is a lovely time of year but only really special if you are a child or have children. Sorry

In your opinion. I've had plenty of very special Christmases without.

If my children upon becoming adults have to work Christmas then so be it. They will be adults and I will happily spend the day on a beach somewhere exotic, or in a nursing home cursing the carol singers 😂