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.

You should be providing for your son so he doesn’t have to work ridiculous shifts.

The thing that annoys me about it is the faffing about afterwards, chatting whilst the staff are waiting for them to leave. 5 mins ok fair enough, but half an hour plus...come on. Keeping a bunch of minimum wage employees hostage so you can shove food in your face and have a good laugh must be a right laugh fpr them.

The owner of the pub is responsible for shifts. They are making the money but likely employing your son on the smallest wage possible.

Why are you blaming random people on mumsnet for the fact your son who has chosen to work in a business that is open on Christmas Day, is working on Christmas Day? We didn’t make him work there

The family restaurant big chain that I clean for, the staff there dont get double pay. Nor do us cleaners. At least he gets double pay. I know about the staff as the other cleaners partner is the head chef.

Why should this service be closed? Lots of people like to visit a pub on Christmas Day.

Yes I mean by OPs mindset that it isn’t essential that people go out for lunch on Christmas I’d argue that for a 16 year old with no family of his own or mortgage it isn’t essential that he works full stop and that if she’s that bothered about him missing things like Christmas dinner then she could always subsidise his life for him.

FWIW I got a part time job at 16. In a retail store. Because I didn’t want to work Christmas or late nights. The great thing about life is that you have choice, especially when you are young and not in a position to have to take a job to put a roof over your head.

It's illegal to force overtime on someone. He needs to learn about unions and asserting his rights. It's hard when you are young and you get exploited by your boss. His boss is absolutely the one you should be annoyed at. Does he even get any extra money on Christmas day?

What a stupid post.

He’s 16. Working is presumably entirely optional. He’s not supporting a household. 🙄

Most people on minimum wage could have chosen/ choose now to study or train for a more lucrative career/ a job which doesn’t involve working bank holidays if that was what was important to them. Nobody has forced anyone to pursue a particular industry in which to work. There is funded education until 18/19 with plenty of training options and then the opportunity to study further with loan funding available to all and flexible options like the OU. Blaming everyone else for one’s own choices is very tiresome.

https://www.acas.org.uk/young-workers-and-work-experience

Your son and pub is breaking the law as under 18 wokers cannot legally work more than 8 hours a day.

Hmm.
You sound like my grandmother. She couldn’t understand why we were not at the table promptly at 1.30 as she expected on Sunday or Christmas dinners.
My father was a policeman and his shift should finish at 2pm but often got home at 6 because of an incident.
I was on ‘roto’ in the pharmacy for emergency prescriptions over lunch (11-2) and my husband was 2nd chef at a hotel full of widows, widowers and families whose homes were to small accommodate everyone around the table. That’s why people go out to dinner.

At 16 you must have given consent for him to work in the pub, most pubs have an age limit for staff.
It’s not going to get any better. The birthdays, weddings and family gatherings my husband missed or was late to because he was too busy working at other people’s birthdays weddings and celebrations.

Just enjoy your son presence and spoil him when he does come home, he’ll be exhausted.

So there are very few employment opportunities for your DS in your area.
He was offered a job in a sector that is renowned for seasonal trade and one of the clear stipulations was that he had to work Christmas - he and you have known this for 6 months.
I genuinely don't know why you are annoyed.
He either decides to do one of the few jobs available to him or not.

My husband was a restaurant manager and worked Xmas for 10+ years was not after we had our little girl he decided to leave as the work life balance is non existent! But we kind of just got used to it and made our own traditions (99% of the time her worked I worked Christmas too as I was a shift worker as well) it’s just what it is!

But I’m seriously not sure they can force him stay for that many hour especially as he’s under 18!

My teenage son is working in a restaurant over Christmas. We are actually having our Christmas dinner tomorrow evening when he is home from work as he will be home too late today.
I’m thankful he has a job and he loves the extra money. I wouldn’t dream of blaming people who don’t won’t to cook for being the reason he is working. How bizarre.

I am scratching my head thinking you can't be that slow on the uptake that you're cursing people for enabling your DS to work and earn money, but seemingly you are....

Be proud that you’ve raised a young man with such a fantastic work ethic. Think of all the money and tips he will make that he can spend on what he likes 😀

I hope you get to enjoy your dinner.

I think this is too many hours for a 16 year old (& possibly over the legal limit for that age but I'm not sure). My son worked at a pub age 16 & was offered the chance to work Christmas day & he said no & luckily his manager/s were absolutely fine about it. I hope he gets to rest over the rest of the Christmas period x

Agree it sounds awful. If he’s below school leaving age (ie is year 11) it’s also illegal for him to work in a commercial kitchen although he may well be year 12. I wouldn’t be happy with a 16 year old being treated in this way at all and being pressured to work that many hours not least because most of them have studies which they should be concentrating on.

Cheaper to eat out than to buy a bigger house with a dining room 🤣 with our 25 year old IKEA chairs we were able to move them out to open the folding table. Our new suite has large recliners which are going nowhere. We eat on our laps every other day but it’s nice for Christmas to be a bit special .

Utterly ridiculous post. Your DS didn’t have to get a job in a pub, he’s 16 so it’s not at though he’s supporting a family and desperately needs the cash. Secondly, some people look forward to Christmas lunch out all year so you’re being VERY unreasonable to shit on their enjoyment.

I totally get this , this is the reallity of local family owned businesses

And its shit

Im a hell of a lot older then your son and well up for speaking up, and yet when working in a rural family pub/restaurant , I could start at 9am and then the 5pm to close chef would ring in sick and yep - that was me 9 - 11pm no break other then a wee ciggie break out the back door

I know its not making your Christmas any better, but let me tell you, it will be the back bone of your sons working life and he survives this, every other place he will find work - which he will - will be a piece of pee and he will be complaining of boredom

The tip situation - he needs to speak up. I got tips splits changed wherever I worked, latest place shares tip jar at shift change . whoever is on gets a share, even if it's a quiet shift and it's a quid - they get an equal share, dishwashers, porters, waiters , front of house and chefs No one minds a chat about tips, the bosses have to follow the law and believe it or not prefer the staff to work it out for themselves , Shift supervisor would be the one to sort it 10 mins to end of shift

What a stupid post. A lot of people would be glad of the work. I've had years where I would have jumped at the extra hours.
He doesnt have to work there.

It was lovely by the way, not a huge place, and looking at the other diners, quite a lot of them were quite elderly, two tables with single people in their 60s helping a very elderly parent, and another table had a brother and sister in their 70s (we chatted to them). I thought it was nice they had the chance to eat out to make their Christmases special.

So if he wasnt able to work Christmas day would he be ok with that? Because surely he’s doing jt for tbe money?