To want Christmas off even tough I am an atheist?

[Pinkocsb]

I work really hard as a support worker, and would like a day or two off over Christmas. Wednesday is my usual day off anyway. My boss wants me to work Christmas and Boxing Day to cover shifts, and when I said Wednesday was my usual day off (there are no buses, and I don't drive) he said "You're not even a believer so why do you want Christmas off?". For me it's a cultural thing and a social thing, to see my family. Am I being unreasonable? Or is my Boss? Apologies for mis-spelling in title but I can't change it.

Your boss is completely unreasonable. Christmas has lost its religious dimension for most people and he doesn't get to judge your holiday needs as less valid than a co-worker on that basis. I would expect the Equality Act makes it illegal for religious beliefs (or lack thereof) to be a factor in awarding shifts.

Edited: Yep just checked and atheism is a protected belief. So he would be discriminating if he made your beliefs a reason for making you work specific shifts.

I honestly think these days for the vast majority of people Christmas has nothing to do with religion or a celebration of faith, it’s for most people just another lovely celebration. Also they are absolutely not allowed to use religion in this way in the workplace.

The relevant thing is here is that it's a Bank Holiday, not that it's a religious festival. That means that (a) there is no public transport to get you to work, and (b) your family all have time off to get together and you won't be able to take part.

On the other hand, someone has to work, and doing one of the two might be reasonable (seeing family on the other). Can they pay for a taxi, or pair you up with someone who can give you a lift?

I bet your boss doesn’t celebrate Christmas ‘religiously’.

It is for a significant portion of the world a cultural norm so they are being nuts if they try that approach. Under employment law they can't distinguish due to religious or non religious membership

Your beliefs are nobody else's business. I would imagine that most people don't celebrate Christmas as a religious event.

Our Christmas has never had anything to do with religion. My dc know that it is when some believe it was when Jesus was born. But that's where it ends. I turned a job down over my current role due to needing to work over Christmas.

Xmas was originally the pagan holiday Yule here anyway so tell him you’re celebrating Yule 🎄
YANBU

Interesting so far. On this thread, 65% of responses are that the OP is not being unreasonable for wanting people of other religions to work over Christmas. She thinks it's unfair of them not to.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5214441-should-people-who-dont-celebrate-christmas-get-to-have-it-off-work

YANBU, but everyone will be in the same boat. If you are contracted to have the Wednesday off they should honour that, however you don't automatically have a right to other days off (assuming your contract has a 'business need' clause around Bank Holidays)

Christmas is an important cultural celebration in the U.K. that almost everyone observes regardless of belief. Your boss is being extremely unreasonable.

I think the difference with that thread though is that there the OP has said their colleague doesn’t celebrate Christmas at all, which is different to here whereby OP does celebrate Christmas just not in a religious way which is arguably the same as most people?

Like personally if I didn’t celebrate Christmas at all, as in it’s just like any other day for me, I’d have no issues working it so that those who do celebrate it can do so. But if I was in the same position as the OP and do celebrate it, just not religiously, I wouldn’t be so happy to work it as it IS a celebration for me, so it’s not just like any other day for me.

That's not the same. Op celebrates Christmas. She just doesn't do it based on religion. In the other thread the person the op is talking about doesn't celebrate Christmas at all

Of course you are not being unreasonable.

It's not a normal working day for you. I think that's relevant.

Your boss has got no right to discrimate on grounds of religious beliefs and anyway, he's being a dick. He knows perfectly well that the vast majority of people don't spend Christmas on their knees praying - more like stuffing their faces and getting pissed. Is he a God fearing man? More's to the point, how does he expect you to get there with no transport.

I still think that’s different- it was a specific example when her colleague had celebrated Eid (so clearly was religious), they didn’t celebrate christmas and there were no children or bank holiday implications for the colleague

You celebrate it culturally so your boss is being unreasonable