Have you ever had to Work on Christmas Day?

Mongfinder General

I worked security in a GAA club a few times on Xmas day from 3 in the afternoon until 8 the following morning. I just sat in the bar drinking away. 21 years of age and not a care in the world.

Mark25

Patww79 wrote: »

There's far more meaningful things you could do than serving criminals. They shouldn't have any perks like that at all. No idea what you're getting at with religion, it was never mentioned.

Nobody wants to be there on Christmas Day - prisoners or Officers. Most Prison Officers just want a quiet life and treat you OK if you are OK with them. I thought it was a dead on thing to do and it is only 1 day a year

Mint Sauce

Working my 6th in 7 years this year. Dont mind it, and will still be home in time to enjoy the dinner, a few bevvies, and falling asleep at 10pm.

sightband

Patww79 wrote: »

There's far more meaningful things you could do than serving criminals. They shouldn't have any perks like that at all. No idea what you're getting at with religion, it was never mentioned.

It was very obvious my response was related to those officers working in the prison system on Christmas Day. If you had no choice but to work there on Xmas day, wouldn’t it be nice to do something which was worthy and might make a difference...now knowing this place it would’ve moved on to the usual “why help someone, cos your god tells us too” ****, of which I have none by the way but to answer you People seem to get very upset about religious matters on this forum so it was somewhat of a disclaimer that I think if you have to work on Christmas Day in Ireland that it may well be better to do something meaningful.

OldMrBrennan83

sightband wrote: »

It was very obvious my response was related to those officers working in the prison system on Christmas Day. If you had no choice but to work there on Xmas day, wouldn’t it be nice to do something which was worthy and might make a difference...now knowing this place it would’ve moved on to the usual “why help someone, cos your god tells us too” ****, of which I have none by the way but to answer you People seem to get very upset about religious matters on this forum so it was somewhat of a disclaimer that I think if you have to work on Christmas Day in Ireland that it may well be better to do something meaningful.

Would still be more worthy to give them what they get every other day and don't treat it like Christmas for them at all. They gave up that privilege when they ended up there.

sightband

Patww79 wrote: »

Would still be more worthy to give them what they get every other day and don't treat it like Christmas for them at all. They gave up that privilege when they ended up there.

You must be right and I must be wrong so...and somebody must be pissing in your cornflakes everyday day of the week because you sound like a miserable auld toerag. I’m off for another slice of baileys cheesecake. Good luck and Nollag Shona.

OldMrBrennan83

sightband wrote: »

You must be right and I must be wrong so...and somebody must be pissing in your cornflakes everyday day of the week because you sound like a miserable auld toerag. I’m off for another slice of baileys cheesecake. Good luck and Nollag Shona.

Miserable? They're criminals.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Conor84 wrote: »

Being overseas for one of those tours if you have children must be real tough. Most people even if they are working will get to see the family at some stage during the day.

Brother is starting training next year. What type of duties would you have on Christmas Day? Thought they would only need a minimum number on duty on Christmas Day unless there was some emergency or really bad weather?

Yes being oversea's can be tough for both the soldier and family members around Christmas. On most missions you can travel home on leave, but its always at your own expense and since Christmas is near the start of the mission when you return to the mission area you've a very long time to go before you can avail of leave again.

The other problem with coming home for Christmas leave (I've never done it because of this reason) is that your family are just getting used to your absence and settling into their routine.

Its exceptionally painful leaving for both the soldier and his or her family, so returning home so soon for just two weeks is just ripping the plaster off the wound.. Tough love and all that but you really are best off staying away, it keeps you focused on the mission and its kinder on the family.

At home, well its just essential duties which are covered (I can't get into that here, sorry).

Just getting back to being away.. The Christmas period is pretty much business as usual, its best this way.

The Late Late Show had a surprise for one soldiers family when he came home from his mission in Mali to surprise the children on the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyI_055vBlE

On my tour oversea's at Christmas we held a Christmas party for the children in the local orphanage. They're Muslim children whose parents had been killed in the various wars in Lebanon, I can post a photo here if anyone wishes.

dodgygeezer

Yep. Hospital medical Doctor. Life just keeps rolling on.

_Brian

Worked shift in manufacturing for 13 years.

Have had to work a few both days and nights.

Bit like a visit to the dentist, nobody likes it but you just get on with it until it’s over.

Stephen15

I haven't myself but I probably wouldn't mind if there was good money for it and I remain single next Christmas. I'm not a big Christmas person as you can probably tell. I definitely wouldn't do it if I had kids or anything.

arybvtcw0eolkf

cml387 wrote: »

I know it's a tradition in the British Army that the officers serve the non coms Christmas dinner. Does that happen in the Irish Army?

Sorry I didn't see your question earlier.. Tbh I've heard about it happening in the B.A. but I've never seen it happen here, although the dining hall will usually get a visit from a high ranking officer.

You'll get the usual Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and a hearty breakfast, and an allowance of €20 after tax for a 24 hour duty (no one joins the DF to get rich lol).

There's usually a really good atmosphere when you're on duty on Christmas day both at home and oversea's, everyone's in the same boat and there's usually something to lift even the lowest spirits.

kevthegaff

Worked the last 12 Christmases, Im a dairy farmer tho! 3-5 hrs so grand to get out a the house☺

NTC

Stephen15 wrote: »

I haven't myself but I probably wouldn't mind if there was good money for it and I remain single next Christmas. I'm not a big Christmas person as you can probably tell. I definitely wouldn't do it if I had kids or anything.

I know it used to happen in the Navy. I remember being on duty Christmas day and the captain came in and served the dinner.

sightband

sightband wrote: »

Was there OT or any special conditions for New Years? I would volunteer in any unskilled capacity for a one night only gig for New Years if the money was good enough...I’m talking €30 an hour region. Biggest pile of shįte night of the year.

Yes, there was double time on public holidays which helped.

myshirt

No one will ever beat the story that was on here a while back about the guy who tore his ballsack while working warehouse security on Xmas day.

_Brian

kevthegaff wrote: »

Worked the last 12 Christmases, Im a dairy farmer tho! 3-5 hrs so grand to get out a the house☺

Your soft, don’t even think of the farming as work here

_Brian

I got called out on a breakdown to a farm many years ago, got there at 11pm Christmas Eve, snowing.

5 minute fix.

Fuucker moaned and complained when I charged him €50+vat for the call

Defaulter1831

About 36 out of 43. Cattle don't differentiate between Christmas Day and any other day.

nthclare

Back in the year 1999, I was working as a Gardener on an old baronial estate in the Highlands in Scotland.

On Christmas day I got a call on my trusty old Nokia to drive a trailer load of logs/blocks upto the back entrance of the owners house.

It was worth the drive for the antics of the family, they were nice people.
Old money and esscentric, they loved having a fellow Celt on the team, they were church of Scotland gentry. I am church of Ireland myself..
I'm​a pagan now lol

Myself the groundsmen and equine staff were invited to Christmas supper that evening in the big house.
So I had to do three runs because it was a smaller trailer, I can still remember the foggy crisp morning, hungover from the party in the bothy house the night before.
The Scots love the hooch
It was nicer time's, I lived in the gate lodge at the southern end of the estate.
Old money people are much nicer than the new money knobs, they are not slave drivers and actions spoke louder than words with them.
Have a pleasant attitude, work hard and you'll gain respect. As a professional gardener, you're expected to keep it looking good, none of this landscape slavery you see nowadays, poor guy's on a motorway verge strumming in the pissing rain shoite....
Or planning roundabouts for 10:50 an hour in the muck, I often see them at it.

So I worked my few hours maybe 3 hour's, got two crispy Bank of Scotland 50£ notes in my fist...
Not bad in 1999 for 3 hour's work on a Christmas morning.

Anyhow back to the Christmas supper, it was some evening, woke up in a four poster bed with a whippet at my feet, it was a far cry from a few weeks before that.
I woke up in a high rise flat complex in Leith, that's another story.

Ah the 90's full of adventure and less stress on society....

The Princess Bride

iamwhoiam wrote: »

I worked a few Christmas eve night until 8am Christmas day . I loved it as Santa came with sacks for everyone and we had to dole it out and leave at the foot of the beds and cots . We had very few patients and time to give to each child

Yeah, once upon a time I worked as a hospital nurse and in fairness, the craic was always great at Christmas.
Only the very ill children were kept in over the Christmas, so it was usually fairly quiet.
Always easier working the night shift too.

No bonuses for us, ha!
But if patients left in boxes of biscuits /chocolates, they'd be raffled among those rostered to work those shifts.

I always preferred having NYE off so it was my choice then to work Christmas.
Not the end of the world, Christmas dinner can be had any time of the year.

Cushtie

Never had to work it. Have been lucky to be working in places that close down for the Christmas period.

When we were young growing up on the family farm sure we were expected to do our morning jobs as normal. but even then we wouldn't mind as we used to make a big deal out of giving the cows an extra scoop of meal as a christmas treat!!

branie2

Thankfully I haven't

AlphabetCards

cml387 wrote: »

I know it's a tradition in the British Army that the officers serve the non coms Christmas dinner.

And a great tradition it was. Sadly, now Sodexo staff stand over the officers to make sure that we dont get more than is allowed for. Nothing like having your troop commander get reprimanded for giving you extra potatoes, and then having to go pay for the dinner at the till. What an age.

Conor84

Royalty Helpless Tinfoil wrote: »

Yes being oversea's can be tough for both the soldier and family members around Christmas. On most missions you can travel home on leave, but its always at your own expense and since Christmas is near the start of the mission when you return to the mission area you've a very long time to go before you can avail of leave again.

The other problem with coming home for Christmas leave (I've never done it because of this reason) is that your family are just getting used to your absence and settling into their routine.

Its exceptionally painful leaving for both the soldier and his or her family, so returning home so soon for just two weeks is just ripping the plaster off the wound.. Tough love and all that but you really are best off staying away, it keeps you focused on the mission and its kinder on the family.

At home, well its just essential duties which are covered (I can't get into that here, sorry).

Just getting back to being away.. The Christmas period is pretty much business as usual, its best this way.

The Late Late Show had a surprise for one soldiers family when he came home from his mission in Mali to surprise the children on the show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyI_055vBlE

On my tour oversea's at Christmas we held a Christmas party for the children in the local orphanage. They're Muslim children whose parents had been killed in the various wars in Lebanon, I can post a photo here if anyone wishes.

Yeah thought it would be only essential duties over Christmas and most lads would be off. Wouldnt expect you to say what the essential duties are!!

That's a pretty cute video alright. Was that this uear? It really is a whole different life - for your children too.It must be so emotional when you get back?