Probably - but people too lazy to cook their own christmas dinner are spoiling mine

[SheinIsShite]

My youngest DS is 16 and works in a pub kitchen. Dish washing, food prep, plating starters/dessert. He is contracted to do 8 hours a week which is usually OK. Obviously this time of year is busy and because he is not at school he has more shifts.

School finished on Friday, he worked Friday evening. And Saturday, and Sunday. Did an extra shift on Monday afternoon as they were short. Yesterday was rostered 11-6 but got home at 22.50 as they were so busy and needed to prep for the 700 covers they have booked today between 12 and 4.30pm. He starts again at 10am this morning, and although they have said he'll be done by 6.30 I don't believe that so he will more than likely miss our family meal.

So all of you paying £85 a head for Christmas lunch in a very standard chain pub, thanks for that.

Totally appreciate that some people have to work and we are all grateful to the police, fire, midwives etc. But going out for your Chrtistmas lunch is not essential.

I imagine he won't spend his life in hospitality jobs then if he's not willing to work holidays when restaurants are at their busiest and most profitable.

But that's how it works in the meantime: you do the job you have while aiming for and acquiring the qualifications/skills for something different/better/higher.

Obviously you are not unreasonable to be a bit sad about it but overall I’d say yes YABU to make moral judgements about people’s character for choosing to go out to eat on Christmas Day.

18 year old DD is working in a restaurant today, and she’s home from uni so I don’t even see a lot of her. We’re just having a later dinner. It wouldn’t cross my mind to think badly of those going out to eat, it’s more than £100 a head so good on them for putting that much money into a struggling industry

Although we did used to have Xmas dinner out when the children were small so maybe I am part if the problem!

That's really shit 😔😟but the problem is with the employer, not with people choosing to eat out. (If they didn't, what would pay DS's wages?)

OP what do you and your DH do?

Your DS has chosen to work. It’s not spoiling anything. God forbid my 80 year old mother, disabled father and multiple amputee brother go out for a meal rather than struggle to cook in their tiny kitchen. What a small minded view to think people are lazy and that everyone has a home and situation capable of cooking an elaborate meal like you do OP.

Exactly what you get with hospitality and retail work generally over this period!

Im sympathetic but surely this was foreseen by you before he started? My DS has been working at Tesco as a part time seasonal assistant and was told he would be working till close on Christmas Eve - which unfortunately for him was when we have our Christmas dinner. It was what it was. It was only due to them having a slight overload of staff that he got let out early and made it

My daughter works for a taxi firm & is working. So should people who don’t drive not go out Christmas Day or those who want to drink not be able to? That’s just life if you work in that kind of industry!

I get today and tomorrow off (we get Christmas Eve, Boxing Day or New Years Eve off) and then it's back to being shouted at by customers for "ruining their Christmas" whilst their children look uncomfortable
🤷‍♀️

There are loads of jobs now that have people working on Christmas day, not just the emergency services. I used to work in the retail card processing industry, and had to be on call on Christmas day as this is when all the card transactions taken on Christmas Eve are processed. Even though I got to stay at home as I could dial in to the system from home, it meant I couldn't go out or have a drink over the Christmas period in case the pager went off (it did get me out of the washing up when it did though !)

Oh and we don't get extra time and barely any tips...

If it makes you feel better OP we have had a huge power cut here so the pub have had to call me and say you can come and collect ingredients but we can’t feed you! Probably karma in your eyes for me being so lazy.

Side note - I’ve worked in hospitality for over 30 years and always loved working Christmas Day. Tips were amazing and as a teenager it was much better than sitting home with relatives all day!

'Berating paying customers for availing themselves of a service being offered is ridiculous. So is getting a job in hospitality if you don't want to work extra over Christmas.'

Well said.

Well, I'm cooking mine at home, but I think I'll go out for Christmas Dinner next year - at least I'll be among people.

The couple of times that I went out in the past with my late husband, we always tipped generously in acknowledgement of the service we received.

I said something similar to a friend whose son is also working in the local pub today and she said he's getting double time of minimum wage, not even £20 never mind £30 an hour. She said the place can't really afford to pay much more as they need so many staff

Hopefully he will get good tips though

Despite all the accusations about me being thick or dim I do completely understand why hospitality want a lucrative December to make up for a lean January.

So if you completely understand it, then why are you blaming 'lazy' customers? If you're not being thick/dim, you're certainly being wilfully ridiculous. It's fair enough to miss your DS, but not to get shitty about people going out to eat at the places that are open and want them to go and pay to eat there. That's dumb.

Your DS is not aware he has the power to decline the extra hours presumably

None of your business and totally irrelevant. Neither of us working today. (Or yesterday, or tomorrow).

Good for your son. At least he's not one of the 1 in 4 young people refusing to work because of 'mental health.' You should be proud of his great work ethic.

Have a lovely time with him when he's home, and stop being silly about other people's choices.

The thread dosent make sense.

There are people away for Christmas today at hotels and having their meals as part of it.

They pay alot more to go away at Christmas.

How are they lazy then. They are on holiday and meals are included thats the package.
Should people not go away then.

What a knobby post. It’s ridiculous.

You should be praising his work ethic, not sniping on here at anyone who goes out for their Christmas dinner.

Honestly, get a grip.

Oh yes, and Merry Christmas to you (which, given the passive aggressive way you’re saying it, I assume you are using in the way ‘good afternoon’ is used in Spirited - an excellent cheery Christmas film which I thoroughly recommend you watch today…it might just shake that Scroogey vibe from your bones)

How lazy of you.

Could he not have said no to the Christmas day shift. I never go out for a Christmas day meal. We get a takeaway.

Most entitled post I've read in a long time

So OP, your family time is clearly so precious to you that you are spending Christmas Day slagging people off left right and centre on Mumsnet and arguing with strangers online when you could be spending quality time with your family.

Clearly not quite as important to you as you make out is it? you may as well be working today for all the misery you are spreading about.

No wonder your son wanted to work today