AIBU to think this isn’t fair ?

[Owlsareus]

I work in a 24/7 call centre for a bank. I work three fixed days a week due to childcare, as I have a baby in nursery.

This year, Christmas Day falls on one of my usual working days, and I’ve been told I must work it. Normally, everyone submits preferences for Christmas and New Year, and shifts are allocated fairly, with the general understanding that you do either Christmas Day or New Year’s Day, not both.

However, I’ve now been scheduled to work both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

When I queried this, my manager said that because Christmas Day falls on my set working day, I have to work it and that it “wouldn’t be fair on anyone else” to allocate it differently.

I don’t feel this is fair — having set days for childcare shouldn’t automatically mean I lose the usual fair rotation

So… AIBU to think this isn’t fair?

I don’t think its fair to make you work both Christmas and new year however i think its fair that you should work Christmas day. Its not fair to make someone who wouldn’t normally be working that day do it either!

Your employer has been fair about this, unless you are saying that everyone put in holiday requests and you didn't get a look in with that? You don't have a shift pattern, you have contractual fixed days so that is what applies. To get the days off you need to request holiday.

Everyone else is on a 24/7 rota so yes Christmas Day Boxing Day New Year’s Day is included in that
we all usually just put our preferences down

And under employment law you have removed yourself from the shift allocation by having a contract with fixed days, unfortunate it that does mean you can't have it both ways. You have the advantage all the rest of the year of knowing what days you will be working without being subject to it varying

I think while legally is this probably true, morally, if the stance was OP had to work all their working days regardless, they shouldn't have let them opt in to volunteering for the Xmas rota in prior years, they can't have it both ways.

Opt, you say you're an extra as they already have it covered, are you able to request AL/unpaid leave? Have you only just found out? Surely the Xmas rota would have been done weeks/months ago?!

Have you worked Christmas Day in previous years? I think that would influence whether it was fair this year or not. In previous years when you’ve submitted a preference have too got what you asked for?