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 did these jobs. It’s how I put myself through medical school (so I could work even more christmases) and I was so glad for it at the time.

Having worked nearly every Christmas for decades I see the people you don’t see. Who need somewhere to gather, who don’t celebrate, who are lonely, whose family circumstances have changed abruptly, or who have a disability that makes it hard to join in at Auntie Kath’s. I love that there are places open for those people to go and enjoy themselves with others.

There certainly are some privileged bubbles at Christmas.

Whether he needs to work or not, no-one forced him to work in a pub kitchen. If you work in hospitality then surely you understand that there will be times you have to work when others are on holiday?

And if OP is struggling and needs her son to work then she should be happy as presumably he will be earning extra!

How do we know the OP has a deprived struggling family? Nothing in her posts suggest that on any level. And even if they were deprived - one day off at Christmas day wouldn't make that much of a difference

The son is saving for an expensive trip - that's why he has this job

Second this!

Her DC chooses to work there and will enjoy getting his ‘well-deserved’ decent pay packet!

Some people have nowhere to go for Christmas. A local community project hosted a free three course meal for folk who had nowhere else to go on Christmas day

For the last five years I've spent buying presents for kids referred by a charity who have literally nothing on Christmas day. Zero

I understand your disappointment but - this is total first world problems

Your sons employer chose to open on Christmas day. It's on them. Not the folk who wanted a meal out

They clearly can. But they are also shutting in their droves so I imagine they really do need the money from Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The arguments on here about reasons for people eating out are bizarre, pubs aren’t charitable organisations. You are allowed to eat out when they are open even if you aren’t bereaved, or are having cancer treatment or whatever.

You also don’t have to work in a pub, it’s a choice.

Maybe the OP might have mentioned it in her numerous comments if the son was having to work these hours at 16 years old to give to his family to pay their basic living costs? 🤔 In which case she’d have bigger problems than this “spoiling her Christmas” and need to sort out her parenting priorities.

Stop making things up.

Exactly. Nobody needs to be justifying it or feel guilty about it. If nobody wanted to work in these industries for the trade off in hours/ pay versus their other options to study/ train for other jobs then they wouldn’t be doing so. A 16 year old has clearly decided earning money and having a job and some work experience is worth working on Christmas Day. It has nothing to do with the customers, it was his decision. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Maybe we should read the thread and find out none of that applys!

My sister and I used to work in a hotel as waitresses / bar staff when at college. We worked christmas eve and christmas day. My parents came for lunch on the Christmas day so we were all together and nobody was cooking. I remember taking food / drinks to their table and how happy my mum was. She always said it was important we both knew how to work in a bar so we were never out of work. (And that we could both drive so we could always leave a situation).

I’m a manager in macdonalds and we closed at 9pm Christmas Eve and opened at 7am today. The amount of people complaining that this was too long to be closed for shocked me. Who needs a McDonald’s on Christmas Day?! We got actually sworn at by one guy 😂

TBF I was really grateful that our local one was open last night, I finished work late after a long shift - in hospitality - and was really hungry and really appreciated the drive through being open so I didn't have to scrounge the cupboards when I got home.
I was surprised but there was a coastguard truck there and a couple of others eating in the car park in what looked like healthcare uniforms so I assume being used by others who work Christmas as well.
No, I didn't need a McDonald's but I sure appreciated it last night! But I certainly wouldn't have been shouting at anyone if they hadn't have been.

He doesn't have to do that job ?.
Ridiculous 🤣

This is funny

He chooses to do this, it isn’t by force. If he doesn’t like the conditions, he can leave and find something else. Get a job where the company close over Christmas or at least on Christmas Day, even McDonald’s does.

It was satire. It seemed consonant with the tone of the OP. OTT

I think this needs more subtlety than it has so far been shown.

1. I don't think you are being unreasonable if we interpret the word in its legal sense of behaving in a way no sane person should. That is different from just saying/doing something your interlocutor disagrees with.

2. You may have a case if you think your son is being exploited.

3. You may have a case if he wants to be free by 18.30, has been told he will be free by 18.30, but then isn't.

4. I would however say that at 16 he is adult enough to choose the work he wants to do and the conditions attached if he can live with them.

5. A dc of that age should not be required to be at home at Christmas if he prefers not to be.

6. It would, though, be good for those who eat out at Christmas to think of the workers who make this possible.

I don’t think the people going out to lunch are to blame, it’s the owner of the pub. If the didn’t decide to open, then people wouldn’t be able to book to go out and staff wouldn’t be needed BUT if it is open why shouldn’t people book if that’s what they would rather do?

Well it's chicken and egg, isn't it? If there was no market for it, the pub owner wouldn't open. But given there is a market for it, why shouldnt they?

Both sides are in it - it's just living in a capitalist society.

Is he not getting paid?
At thst age I would much rather work and get a good bit of money for a 16 year old than sit eating turkey and puling crackers with mum and dad.

I am sure telecommunications engineers would love to have boxing day off but hey ho there's complaining to be done on social media

My son worked in the warehouse at his supermarket last night. How dare people eat and my son gets paid for it. YABU

People in my workplace were working all over Christmas!! How dare people want medicine in 3-6 months time!!!ffs!!

I totally agree with you but OP is only blaming the lazy people who don’t want to cook