To be shit scared I'll loose my job

[SunshineInCorwall]

We have a first come, first served for Christmas and if you work one Christmas Day you get the next off. Most of our team have children under 8.

This year its my turn to work. Howver, that every other Christmas I've been due to work recently, there has been some emergency and I've had to call in a day or so nefore Christmas. Kids sick, DH sick, you know real life!

Just overheard two colleagues seriously talking about whether they "take the hit now" and offer to swap with me now or which one will be on call to cover me over Christmas, so they can manage expectations for their kids, they seemed really worried as noth have had to step in on a previous Christmas. Our team leader also overheard and just said to them that she's "aware" and will move heaven and to protect their break. (she's already working running the whole dept over Christmas so won't see her children at all, so not sure what that means)

I'm shit scared that something will happen and I will loose my job. What can I do? My husband is wonderful but useless so can't leave him to anything.

Would you quietly approach colleagues and ask them to swap?

This is a troll post, surely?! You step up to the plate, OP. Honestly - being a flakey colleague is nothing to be proud about. Your other colleagues had to cancel their Christmas because you couldn’t get your act together - if DC are in hospital as they’re so poorly, that’s understandable but if they had a cold at home then your DH could have looked after them - it doesn’t need two of you.

Sorry but you need to put something in place now. So unfair on your colleagues and not surprised they are worried given your track record. I get that emergencies happen but you need to have an alternative arrangement in place. Why should your emergencies be left to your colleagues to deal with?

Are you for real. You can’t ring in sick because your DH is sick unless it’s a life or death hospital situation. And you can’t ring in sick if your kids are sick if your DH is at home. Especially at Christmas! Your poor colleagues and their children. You probably can’t lose your job for it but you are being incredibly unfair. If you approach your colleagues to ask to swap then it’s clear you have no intention of working your fair share anyway.

I would quietly approach your husband and tell him to step-up so you don’t ruin another families Christmas another year.

What is wonderful about a husband who can't look after his own kids for a few hours?

You deserve to lose your job. And it's lose, not loose fgs.

It's so annoying when an OP doesn't return because they get (a shedload in this case) of answers they don't like.
OP you have another adult at home, there's no excuse. You had time off because your DP was sick??? There needs to be a massive explanation for this unless you're the kind of person who won't let someone else do things their own way, your DP is abusive and controlling etc.

Just approach your colleagues and be honest.

”I actually had no intention of coming in for Christmas Day and had a carefully fabricated story about grandad’s gammy leg all ready for my performance phone call Christmas morning.

But now I know you’re onto me could you just do the shift? It saves me embarrassing myself and it saves you thinking you were spending Christmas with your family.

Real life, eh?”

They’ll be totally cool with it. I promise.

Your DH sounds less than wonderful....he needs to look after HIS children when they are sick.

Just leave him to it in the future and he'll find his way of doing things. I just couldn't live like that with a parent.

Okay - can we just take a step back for one second everybody - perhaps the OP's husband had Covid last year/the year before? There were strict rules in place back then about isolating where members of your household had Covid!

BUT, otherwise, sorry OP but YABVU. Hope it gets sorted.

This is a reverse, surely? You absolutely deserve to lose your job if you do it again. Unless your husband is in hospital he should be capable of looking after his own children for a single day. Your poor colleagues.

You go to work and leave your husband with the kids. What else?

Your husband is wonderful and useless at the same time? Have a good think about what you’ve just written 🤦‍♀️

She'd have said covid if it was covid. She's clearly good with excuses.

Don’t mention covid.

All it takes us some apple juice to fake a positive and OP’s colleagues will be fucked over once again.

Yes, wonderful but useless? Trust me, he is not wonderful.

If I was your colleague I'd be pissed off too- it's not a one off and it's happened enough times for it now to be expected so clearly it's an ongoing issue and I think they're right to both anticipate it and be resentful about it. Just take your turn

Don't imagine you are indispensable. So many 'useless' DHs and DWs have managed very well thank you after they have been widowed. Yours is perfectly able to keep the children alive whilst you are at work. If you are scared of losing your job, do what it takes to keep it and do your shift.

Actually I hope you do lose your job, it will teach you a lesson that you need to expect your husband to step up rather than your colleagues.

You are my idea of a nightmare colleague. Someone deliberately unreliable so they are let off the hook as it's easier to go to another person who doesn't take the piss. Awful attitude.

Busted, OP! Looks like your colleagues are wise to your selfish plans to dump the Xmas shift on them. Best look for another job where you won’t be fucking up other people’s family life.

Couldn't have said it better. Move mountains to work that shift and get DH to grow the fuck up.

I so hate to say this, but .... I'd not believe this either. No matter what happens you turn up to work. No excuses, no good reasons. You may well be telling the truth but I wouldnt care at this stage. You are pissing off your colleagues and damaging team morale. I'd already have told you that any absence short of your death this year for Christmas would be treated as gross misconduct.

Do you work in an essential service that means you need to work on Christmas? If so, shame on you. You are coming up with excuses because you seem to have colleagues that pick up after your shit. Every workplace has an employee like you and trust me, they are all talking about you. Get a backbone and do your bit.

My husband is wonderful but useless so can't leave him to anything. WTF? Tell this wonderful prat to stop being useless and sort everything out so you can go to work. Unless you yourself are ill, you go to work.

He is not more important than your job!

For next year try to find a job in a company that is closed on Christmas Day.