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.

Most of us have had to do something similar OP. My part time job in a hotel at university meant I had to stay in my university town 400 miles from my family at Xmas. Alone.
People don’t stop needing hotels at Xmas. Some pubs and restaurants traditionally stay open too. Or hospitals, care homes, vets etc.
As others have said. Don’t take a job that involves unsociable hours and dates if it means that much.

He doesn't HAVE to work, I mean you could just fund his lifestyle instead of him working. If not then stop moaning.

YABU
Nor is it essential for your 16yo to work/work in catering.

Not much of a hardship really, is it? And perhaps for a pub desperate for takings to stay afloat it would be absolutely essential. It would help see many pubs through a quiet January. Imagine if they couldn’t survive and had to lay your little prince off?
Have a wine and get a grip.

Exploited? Unions? He’s been giving a Christmas Day shift. Are nurses fucking exploited by that? Get a grip. If he isn’t able to work the unsociable shifts alongside his colleagues then who the fuck would employ a 16 year old with no experience?

It's a big chain apparently

The OP has said that he had to work 6 hours over his shift last night and he gets no breaks. Nothing to do with nurses - he's being treated like shit by his employer

Both my kids have jobs in hospitality, part time between college and uni...one worked until late yesterday, one all day today, both tomorrow but at different times. They earn well (£28 /hour today for 17 year old), are grateful to do so, fund their cars amongst other things as a result and have great customer facing skills....I really can't get worked up about the fact that Christmas dinner was late here, or that we've only just opened presents because of their jobs. Rather that than them be sprawled about asking for handouts all the he time!

I'm so sorry to hear that your DS was forced to work in a pub kitchen!

Grow up.

My 16 year old worked yesterday and again today. She loved it, felt Christmassy, got paid double time and we can celebrate tomorrow.

Why is MN always like this - there are no shades of grey, everything is black and white, or extreme.

Ironic, considering YOU started a thread, calling everyone eating out today "too lazy to cook" Where were your shades of grey then? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Like other people have said you could have had your Christmas dinner on Boxing day. This is a you problem..

Did you think your kid wouldn't be asked to work on Christmas day if the pub was open. And if your employer doesn't allow people to say no. They are a shite employer. Particularly as its a zero hours contract

But if they didn’t open today the might not be operating in the new year a good Christmas can make the difference to a pub/restaurant. I honestly don’t see how they can make him stay later….. yes to working as that’s the breaks in hospitality you normally have to do one or the other of the key dates but when your down your done!!

I actually agree with you @SheinIsShite. People who work in non essential services should get Christmas day off to spend with their family. In fact, I think boxing day should be essential services only too. GP surgeries can close both days, but restaurants can't?

Then he needs to suck it up then doesn’t he?

I wouldn’t let my 16 year old work in a pub.

Is he being paid? I’m sure he’ll be glad of the wages. Maybe you could give him the cash instead so he doesn’t need to work Christmas

None of my kids worked when they were under 18 (and no, it didn’t affect them getting a permanent career). More on you that he’s working age 16. My kids job at that age was to focus on their GCSE / A levels.

Well, maybe @SheinIsShite cant provide properly for her own family, so her young son needs to work to pay for his living expenses. Maybe we shouldn’t be so harsh on a deprived struggling family.

Oh my guilt is unbearable, maybe I should just go and throw myself in the sea. It's only about 50 metres away. I've had not one, not two, but THREE meals today served to me by people who are working Christmas day.

I'm pretty sure that Blackpool is really grateful for the revenues and for the employment.

There's a huge proportion of people who don't want to, or can't, spend Christmas day with their families. You would deprive them of their work and their customers of the pleasure of eating a meal they don't have to prepare or clear up after.

Could you please explain where the shades of grey are in your post about "lazy people" "spoiling your Christmas?"

You sound a bit of a fool tbh .
it’s not ruining your Christmas if you all knew what your son was signing up for way before Christmas by the sound of it

what if he had been a nurse or a doctor working today, would you have called Al the sick people names for ruining your Christmas?

What about disabled people, lonely people, elderly people, shift workers etc, who for multiple reasons might not have a Christmas dinner if it weren’t for people like your son and his employers.

Im disabled and have been a hospital shift worker and have lived alone with no family support, all at the same time and back then I remember one particular year on a split shit, too far away to go home and cook then come back for the night shift and wishing dearly that I’d thought to book ahead with a local pub to have a Christmas dinner.

I didnt really notice the “shades of grey”
in your OP either. I found your original post to be quite “black, white and extreme” if I’m honest.

And as for this…So all of you paying £85 a head for Christmas lunch in a very standard chain pub, thanks for that.
Youre welcome 😉
We are not disabled, recently bereaved, or any of the other reasons on here people have suggested people may want to eat out on Christmas Day. We simply couldn’t be arsed with the big food shop, the prep, the
cleanup… and we had a fabulous meal out today. Delicious. Lovely. Brilliant time had by all!

I don’t understand this post. Your son is probably pleased with the extra money and he has a great work ethic and is obviously a hard worker. We went out to a pub for lunch today for the second year. We went partially because it is a lot of work for two people but mostly because we don’t have children and none of DH’s family are interested in seeing us as they (understandably) want to spend time with grandkids. We are never invited and they don’t want to come here. My family live far away and we are unable to see them. I find Christmas has been quite sad and lonely in the past and this is a fun way of breaking up the day and relaxing. All of the staff seem genuinely pleased to be there and we tip well