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Original poster

Christmas Eve

86 replies

fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:06

Hi - we’ve just been told that the company of giving everyone Christmas Eve off and gifting that holiday to staff. Christmas Eve is a Friday this year and I don’t work on Fridays. HR have told me to suck it up. I think that’s unfair, as full time workers gain an extra day of holiday that I don’t. What does anyone in HR think? Thank you.

OP posts:
subsy1 · 22/09/2021 15:08

It would be worse if you didn't work Mondays - think of all those Bank Holidays you'd miss!
Do you want a day off in lieu or extra wages?

Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:11

I know! The company adds bank holiday entitlement to my annual leave and effectively each bank holiday is a day holiday for me. I’d want a day off in lieu, or I suppose it should be 0.8 day off if pro-rated…?

OP posts:
Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:12

Sorry point of BH is that if I didn’t work Mondays, I would be compensated for those days as additional leave

OP posts:
TrashKitten10 · 22/09/2021 15:12

I think as it's a goodwill gesture it is unfortunately just one of those annoying 'suck it up' moments of PT working. As PP said, people who don't work Mondays will have the same annoyance about bank holidays.

Hopefully your workplace will make it a regular gesture and as the years go by you will also get to benefit from having Christmas Eve off. Kick up a fuss now and they may decide it's more hassle than it's worth and not do it again.

Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:15

Yes - I agree. It does seem unfair though!

OP posts:
PersonaNonGarter · 22/09/2021 15:16

Suck it up. They aren’t contracted to do it.

I usually take a day off NYE from my annual leave, but if I was working I would get let off for the afternoon - basically half day holiday. So I spend a day to get a half day - that’s life.

GreatPotato · 22/09/2021 15:19

I think as PT is predominantly done by women this can be seen as sex discrimination. Employers need to be careful to treat everyone equally and that includes extra days off, although it would be pro rata, so if you usually work 4 days pw, technically you'd only be entitled to 4/5 of a day off.

I work in school and the extra BH for the Jubilee falls in school hols. Our LA have added it to the beginning of the summer hols, but have also advised that people who don't work that day should be given a different day off.

Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:26

Getting let off for the afternoon on NYE is different I think - I’ve worked in places where that was the tradition, but was never a given. As in - we would all sit there hoping and expecting quietly, and at some point we’d be told to hard home, but if we wanted the day off, we’d take holiday. This is a given day for all - not a “go on then, it’s 1.30 off you go” type affair.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 22/09/2021 15:32

It's not a contractual day off - it's a goodwill gesture. HR are right. Suck it up.

Ilovewillow · 22/09/2021 15:36

Goodwill gesture certainly but I run my own company and I would be ensuring you either got it on another day or additional holiday (pro rata), It's the little things that build up resentment.

boomboom1234 · 22/09/2021 15:37

Given it's a good will gesture I would be really annoyed that they don't let you tag it on to your regular days!!

boomboom1234 · 22/09/2021 15:38

Why should you miss out on a goodwill gesture because you are part time?

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 22/09/2021 15:40

What boom said. It matters not one jot if it's a goodwill gesture and not contractual, it feels massively unfair to p/t workers.

MrsLeclerc · 22/09/2021 15:41

Do they let you swap your working day on a normal week?

I only ask as a colleague had a similar situation and after much back and forth said that she’d swap her working day for the ‘free’ day. She ended up having her standard day off at a different point in the week and the good will day off with everyone else.

As it’s standard practice in our company to allow people to move their working day if needed they didn’t put up much of an argument —manager had stopped caring by that point—.

But I agree with PP, most workplaces you just have to hope next time they do something like this, you’ll get the benefit.

MrsLeclerc · 22/09/2021 15:41

*strikethrough fail! Blush

Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:45

Yes - I do swap my working day but mainly to flex for client needs, and I’m too straight to try and sneak this in!

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Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 15:46

To clarify - if they say suck it up, I will and won’t say anything, but PP is right, it leaves a sour taste!

OP posts:
SalsaLove · 22/09/2021 15:48

Who said life is fair? Just roll with it.

RosieGuacamosie · 22/09/2021 15:51

I’m sure the company has given Christmas Eve off as a goodwill gesture to allow people to go home to family early or spend time with their kids on Christmas Eve, which is quite an important day in the UK. You already have that so you don’t need to goodwill gesture. It’s also often more convenient for the company to shut and have everyone off on the same day as opposed to giving people a random free day off.

My company offers Christmas Eve off as a goodwill gesture and there’s no taking it on another day if you don’t like it. As a manager I’d be pretty pissed off if someone asked if they could move their working day to take advantage of this.

Willow19C · 22/09/2021 16:20

Actually, some of these posts about Mondays are not accurate.

I don't work Mondays, but I get given extra days for bank holidays that I would get off if I did work Mondays. I'm part time, so they cant discriminate against me by not allowing me bank holiday hours off.

I would Google this to find a post by ACAS or someone to back this up, but I'm too tired!

Willow19C · 22/09/2021 16:21

@subsy1

It would be worse if you didn't work Mondays - think of all those Bank Holidays you'd miss! Do you want a day off in lieu or extra wages?
You don't miss them, you get given extra holidays.
LODReturn · 22/09/2021 16:29

Bank holidays are different. You are entitled to accrue time off for them as a part timer. In some companies, you get a choice of taking them as they fall or taking them pro-rata. Christmas Eve is NOT a bank holiday.

This is a gesture of goodwill and people wanting to kick up a fuss will result in everyone missing out next year.

Take it for what it is - a gesture of good will. Last year, my Company closed the office for Christmas Eve and we had to take it out of our annual vacation (contractually they are allowed to do this). Would you be so quick to offer to swap your working days and use an annual leave day if this was the case or be pleased that you were off any way?

maddy68 · 22/09/2021 16:33

Na it's a suck it up moment it's a goodwill gesture

Original poster
fufulina · 22/09/2021 16:34

I said up thread that I won’t swap my working day…
And the office closes over Christmas and I need to take those days as leave. And bank holidays are out of my leave allowance now. That’s the way the company works it out. So good Friday doesn’t come out of my allowance, Easter Monday does.

OP posts:
lastrolo10 · 22/09/2021 16:35

I think it’s discriminatory and I don’t think it’s about full timers needing this day off more as it’s a special day.
You happen to have it off because you work part time. When you work less you do tend to have a higher chance of occasions like this off.
But you are also paid less.
Those who work full time have wages that reflect full time.

And when Christmas eve even falls on other days you will have to work it or use a days leave.
So it’s very unfortunate for you as they may not repeat this in years to come.