"Shut-down jobs"

nlgbbbblth

I went back to work today.

Most people [I know all my mates do] seem to have `shut-down` jobs - where their office closes around December 21/22 and doesn`t re-open until January 2 or sometimes later. It means they`re forced to take holidays at Christmas whether they like it or not.

Where I work I just get three days off - December 25/26/27 - if one or two of these days falls on a weekend then I get the next working day/s off. Naturally I can take other days off if I want - out of my annual leave allocation. This year I had six left so I stopped work on December 14 [took 17/18/19/20/21/24 off].

This forced Christmas break is somewhat excessive in my opinion. What`s even more annoying is that my local Centra had no hot food available today [I couldn`t get a breakfast roll] as they assumed there wouldn`t be the demand. Likewise the deli I frequent for lunch is shut until 2 January.

You really notice it on internet forums where traffic is far quieter - a symptom of people mostly posting at work as opposed to home.

Anyone else think the break is too long?

AlmightyCushion

I got christmas day off. I'd have killed for more time off.

Pj!

I can take my holidays whenever I want thanks.

Mmmmmmmmmm holidays. But yes I am off till the 2nd.

CantGetNoSleep

The lack of breakfast rolls today was my equivalant of living in famine time

All gone back to Polski land id say

alan4cult

So will we cancel Christmas next year and all eat toast?

nlgbbbblth

Forky wrote: »

I can take my holidays whenever I want thanks.

Same here - within reason - as we need around 40% of the staff working on days like Christmas Eve and the two before New Year.

It's the widespread shutdown or closure of places for almost a fortnight which is a bit galling.

nlgbbbblth

alan4cult wrote: »

So will we cancel Christmas next year and all eat toast?

You're missing the point Alan.

Rb

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

Anyone else think the break is too long?

Nope.

If I could get the rest of my life off work and paid for it, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

alan4cult

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

You're missing the point Alan.

There is a point?
I find the break long but I look forward to it but the discussion of hot food with regard to taking days off does not merit a thread.

Nightwish

I have a "shut down" job - the sole perk of working in the public sector, and I love my christmas break. I spent 7 years in retail, where I got 2 months of aggro from customers coming up to christmas, 2 days off and then another 2 weeks of aggro over unwanted/broken toys.

Dord

My office was closed the 25th and 26th but I took time off either side and I'm not back in til Wednesday next week.

rb_ie

rb_ie wrote: »

Nope.

If I could get the rest of my life off work and paid for it, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

+1

I mean, yes I agree.

<.<

nlgbbbblth

alan4cult wrote: »

There is a point?
I find the break long but I look forward to it but the discussion of hot food with regard to taking days off does not merit a thread.

Ignore the reference to hot food then. It's only a side issue.
Take it up with the moderators if you feel the thread is not merited.
Although I'd interpret that as a particularly humourless course of action to take.

The point was alluded to above.

wrote:

It's the widespread shutdown or closure of places for almost a fortnight which is a bit galling.

JohnCleary

I'm a student and work for myself on the weekends/any time ive free so take holidays as I feel... I'm not going to even think about work until at least the 2nd week in January... sure it's what Christmas is all about

Andrewf20

I was in work for 12 hours Christmas day last year. Brilliant.

Senna

This is the busiest time of year for me, so i only take 25&26 off, i'd give my right nut to have more time of for Xmas.

admiralofthefleet

i was meant to have last monday til today off but had to cover inept staff after stephens day. to be honest i was glad to work to stave off the boredom. xmas is she-ite

Pherekydes

I've been on holidays since the 18th August 2003.

However, in 1979 I worked 6 straight 24-hour shifts from the 23rd December.* So being off at Christmas is nice, believe me.






*If you're trying to get your head around this, it means I turned up for work at 9 am on 23/12 and went home at 9 am on 29/12.** This is officially why slow coach is mad [sometimes].***


**This is true.

***This may not be true. But it's my theory.

daveirl

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nlgbbbblth

daveirl wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

A break from work is welcome yes - that's what I use my annual leave allocation for. The regular three days I get off at Christmas are not part of this allocation.

I have no desire to work in a US-type culture either. The point I have been trying to make is that it is great to be off over Christmas - I was off for two weeks but it was voluntary, not imposed upon me.

monkeyfudge

I agree completely.

I'm pretty much the only one back in work this week as I didn't see any point wasting my annual leave at such a miserable time of year.

Too bad the central heating is turned off and there is no where to get lunch.

I'm lucky that I can choose when to take my leave though. I'd be really pissed off if I was told I had to take 2 weeks out of my annual leave in order to celebrate the birth of the baby jesus... surely there would be a discrimination case there?

pid()

I was off from the 14th to the 28th, and I'm in from the 28th to the 4th. I was forced to take holidays before the end of year as they wouldn't carry over - I didn't want to be off from the 14th to the 28th. We close for 2 days a year, xmas day and new years day, yet i was working both this year. I was on call for 6 hours xmas morning, 5am to 11am. I'm on call from 5am to 5pm on new years.

Kintarō Hattori

Senna wrote: »

This is the busiest time of year for me, so i only take 25&26 off, i'd give my right nut to have more time of for Xmas.

Same here. I'd have liked a week off so I could have spent it with the missus.

nlgbbbblth

For people who work in such places that close down for almost a fortnight over the Christmas period.

- do these days off count as part of your annual leave allocation?

Surely the bank holidays [25/26/1] don't?

daveirl

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nlgbbbblth

daveirl wrote: »

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Pretty much the same as my employer - shuts a half day Christmas Eve, 25/26/27, all the bank holidays and Good Friday. Have 25 days leave after that.

But that wouldn't cover you if you wanted to be off until January 2 as December 28 and 31 are working days so that would be two days off it already. Plus more if the company finished up on December 19 or 20 [like some did].

Nightwish

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

For people who work in such places that close down for almost a fortnight over the Christmas period.

- do these days off count as part of your annual leave allocation?

Surely the bank holidays [25/26/1] don't?

I took 2 days out of my annual leave - Friday 28th and Monday 31st so I could have 12 days off. The other days are not affected by annual leave.

nlgbbbblth

Nightwish wrote: »

I took 2 days out of my annual leave - Friday 28th and Monday 31st so I could have 12 days off. The other days are not affected by annual leave.

Your choice I presume?

Nothing wrong with that.

Nightwish

Oh yeah totally my choice. I could've worked yesterday if I wanted. I did it last year and it was so boring. No phone calls all day and most people in other areas that I liaise with as part of my job were all off til the New Year, which meant I sat in the office going mad.

Sonnenblumen

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I agree completely.

I'm pretty much the only one back in work this week as I didn't see any point wasting my annual leave at such a miserable time of year.

Too bad the central heating is turned off and there is no where to get lunch.

I'm lucky that I can choose when to take my leave though. I'd be really pissed off if I was told I had to take 2 weeks out of my annual leave in order to celebrate the birth of the baby jesus... surely there would be a discrimination case there?

You're employed but you can always change employment?

Employers should be more discriminatory.

daveirl

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Pythia

It's a chance to wind down, I don't mind. I haven't taken any time off since Aug so it's a nice break. I'm taking annual leave from 31st Dec to 9th Jan in addition to the normal days off. Will be great.

tman

I got 4 days off, was back to work on Friday for the start of 8 days in a row... Wish I got a couple of weeks off like pretty much everybody else that I know:(

Still have 4 untaken holiday days and a lieu day for NYD, so at least I'll get a week off sometime in January...

Toto Wolfcastle

My Dad was back at work yesterday having finished with a half day on the 24th. However, I think he could have had yesterday off but he decided to go back because he's bringing my brother on a week's holiday tomorrow.

Personally, this is my first year with proper holidays at Christmas. I'm a student but I've worked in retail, etc, for 3 years, meaning I had college and work and 2 days off at Christmas. This year I'm relishing the chance to relax because I don't work.

I don't think that making workers take holidays out of their annual leave would be too popular! I'm not sure that many people would agree that the holidays they get at Christmas are a bad thing! Think of those who got only one day, or worse, none at all!

Dudess

The office I'm temping in closed business on 21st December and reopens New Year's Eve. Nobody had to take holidays because of this - they simply got the time off paid as the office is shut. I've never heard of people being forced to use holidays when the company is going to be closed anyway. That's pretty appalling. I won't get paid as I'm a temp and the agency pays me, but I'm still glad of the time off when there's so much social events and scope for hangover sleepoffage.
Now even though the office is reopening on New Year's Eve, it will be very quiet so a lot of people won't bother going in and will take the day out of their holidays - THAT's fair enough. Although I don't understand why the company is opening on New Year's Eve when it is going to be so quiet and they'll be shut again New Year's Day.

Earthhorse

That's what you get for working in a bank man.

If you had all those days saved up why not use them to coincide with when most other people would be off? You could use the time to catch up with friends back home for Christmas and wouldn't have to face in to work in this miserable weather.

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

For people who work in such places that close down for almost a fortnight over the Christmas period.

- do these days off count as part of your annual leave allocation?

Surely the bank holidays [25/26/1] don't?

We only close for a week and a bit. Three of those days you have to take off. The company are also kind enough to give us Christmas Eve off for free, yay! A lot of factory workplaces close down in August for two weeks to retool or clean the premises and workers have to take 10 days annual leave. It's just a part of the package.

Also, you have 25 days annual leave! Some of us only have 20 so quit yer belly-aching!

I would murder for more time off at Christmas. The measly two days off I get off are just not enough.

Mint Sauce

company open 365, my department closed 25/26th of december and 1st jan



think i would have been board if had more time off

Wertz

In the construction sector, sites and open jobs invariably close down for the fortnight, most tradespeople whether working for themselves or as employees have no choice but take that time off and in the case of employees, it is a form of forced leave (paid for, but days taken from yearly entitlement). The added pressure of trying to have things finished for christmas (usually new homes) means that the run up to xmas is busier, but the slow times, especially in my trade, can hit hard in Jan and Feb.
The logistics of it are pretty simple; there's that many other places like suppliers etc already closed that you can't operate at peak. Liewise, unless you're a plumber or other necessity, people don't want you in their home during their holidays.
On the point about bank holidays over the xmas period, I've known of cases and had it tried on with me where employers will try and wangle out of paying those BH's to those entitled to them, saying that that's their two week's pay, when they have in fact only been paid 7-8 working days for their fortnight off.

This year I'm self employed and have been since late october; that means I got no holiday pay (first time in years), no BH entitlement, no bonus, no staff party (although I did end up at one with a bunch of subbies from the firm I used to work for) and am forced into staying off work until things "return to normal"; ie, Jan 2nd, when sites open and when people are willing to let you into their houses to carry out work.

It's something I'm used to (the forced fortnight)....I have been since school; we probably all have. Back in the times I worked in pubs or hotels you'd get xmas day off and that was it....you could be assured of working at least 80% of the days over the festive closure period....I hated that.

arybvtcw0eolkf

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

I went back to work today.

Most people [I know all my mates do] seem to have `shut-down` jobs - where their office closes around December 21/22 and doesn`t re-open until January 2 or sometimes later. It means they`re forced to take holidays at Christmas whether they like it or not.

Where I work I just get three days off - December 25/26/27 - if one or two of these days falls on a weekend then I get the next working day/s off. Naturally I can take other days off if I want - out of my annual leave allocation. This year I had six left so I stopped work on December 14 [took 17/18/19/20/21/24 off].

This forced Christmas break is somewhat excessive in my opinion. What`s even more annoying is that my local Centra had no hot food available today [I couldn`t get a breakfast roll] as they assumed there wouldn`t be the demand. Likewise the deli I frequent for lunch is shut until 2 January.

You really notice it on internet forums where traffic is far quieter - a symptom of people mostly posting at work as opposed to home.

Anyone else think the break is too long?

No.

Dudess

Earthhorse wrote: »

We only close for a week and a bit. Three of those days you have to take off.

That is so sh*t. Never heard of it before tbh. Really shabby policy.

Earthhorse

Really? I thought it was a pretty common practise.

First thing I get back I'm gonna find out who my union rep is, draw up a letter of complaint, march to his desk and...ah who'm I kidding, sounds like a lot of work.

Dudess

Earthhorse wrote: »

Really? I thought it was a pretty common practise.

Oh I'm not doubting it, it's just that I had never heard of it before. Doesn't happen anywhere I've worked.

First thing I get back I'm gonna find out who my union rep is, draw up a letter of complaint, march to his desk and...ah who'm I kidding, sounds like a lot of work.

A lot of work it may be, but you could use the spare time of your enforced holidays to do so.

JIZZLORD

i'm off on a months christmas holidays from college atm. not back until the 14th of jan.
BUT i have to work full time hours at my part time job.
Damn busy christmas

Earthhorse

Dudess wrote: »

A lot of work it may be, but you could use the spare time of your enforced holidays to do so.

Yeah, that doesn't sound like me. To be honest, I don't mind it that much. I still have 17 days annual leave to take, and our holiday year runs from July to June. That's not counting flex-leave either so I should be a well rested Earthhorse by the time summer comes round!

pickarooney

I get one day off, on the 25th, provided Christmas falls on a weekday. As every one of my clients was off on the 26th this year it made for a pretty boring day.

kelle

People don't stop getting into fights, having accidents or getting sick and checking into A&E just because it's christmas or the New Year, so I had only Christmas day off.

Capt'n Midnight

Wertz wrote: »

In the construction sector, sites and open jobs invariably close down for the fortnight, most tradespeople whether working for themselves or as employees have no choice but take that time off and in the case of employees, it is a form of forced leave (paid for, but days taken from yearly entitlement).

Do people get "fired" and re-hired at christmas like they do for the builders holiday in summer - so the employer can save two weeks pay ??

Wertz

It happens but it's never happened me. Would depend a lot on the trade and the size of the company (or site), would also depend on the skill level of a worker, their seniority, perhaps on their nationality and of course whether they're in a union. I always tended to work for smaller firms so no union, but didn't feel I needed one.
The majority of companies are okay about holidays (only 20 days per year + BHs mind), it's unusual to see people getting duped, but it does happen...