Holiday time off and kids

[mommaU4]

I was thinking about those who work at places that are open on holidays (like a hospital) and wondering if the holiday time off is given first to those with kids?

DH works at a hospital, and always has, and he works this Thanksgiving and is off Christmas Day. We didn't really ask specifically for that it just worked out that way. Sometimes he's off, sometimes not. We make plans around his schedule. But I would imagine in some workplaces this could be frustrating for some. Parents want to be home with their kids, but people w/o kids or whose kids are grown might want the day off too. Should one get preference over the other?

Is this an issue in your workplace? Are you working any of the holidays? Does your employer have some sort of policy in place to solve this dilemma should it arise? Just curious about people's thought on the matter.

 

[Blondy876]

I think whoever asks first or whoever has seniority should get that time off first. I don't think that whether or not you have children should even be considered.

 

[RachelEllen]

We have six holiday days, two at Christmas, two at Thanksgiving, and two at New Years. I'm not Christian, so I've always volunteered to take a Christmas day (everyone has to get one). If there are no volunteers, it's done randomly. Luckily, there always seem to be enough nonChristians aroudn that it's not been a problem, though.

R

 

[Crankyshank]

My previous 2 jobs were in tech support at 24/7/365 organizations. holiday time off at both places was first offered to parents unless the non parents submitted their time off request significantly (several months) in advance before the managers even stopped to consider it was a holiday request.

 

[ziggystardust]

My sister's ex is a nurse. He would volunteer for the holiday shifts b/c he wanted the people w/families or the ones that were traveling to not have to worry about working. I don't know exactly when he worked but in the 8 yrs of knowing him, I don't really ever remember him missing a XMas, thanksgiving yes. Maybe he traded off.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I used to work in the ER, and we either had to work Thanksgiving and New Years or you had to work Christmas. It rotated every year too, if you work Thanksgiving this year, you work Christmas Day next year.

 

[golfgal]

My mom was a nurse and they rotated holidays, all of them. If you worked on Thanksgiving, you got Christmas Day off and then worked New Years Day but had Memorial Day off, etc., etc. It worked out that every other year you would have each of the holidays off. After so many years seniority, you automatically got all the holidays off (10 years I think).

My BIL is a police officer and their schedule is out for 3 months at a time. If you are working hours/days that include a holiday, you work those days (with time and a half pay). They do try to work around Thanksgiving and Christmas some. You can put in for those days off but they usually go to those with the most seniority.

 

[crazyme5kids]

My husband really doesn't have a choice, in fact he has been away for more holidays and birthdays than he's been home for (except Christmas).

 

[mermaidlady]

We have a rotating schedule on a 3 year rotation. So I know which holidays I will work. But just because some one doesn't have kids doesn't mean that don't want to spend holidays with their friends and family. My 1st year as a RN I was given Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on PM's so it was difficult for me and I was upset. Now that I have kids I do want to spend holidays with them but I don't feel that I should have priorty over any of my co-workers. Ironically the most fought over holiday this year was Halloween.

 

[dmslush]

At the shelter, full time staff rotates the holidays. We are in pairs of two that work as a team. My partner and I will work thanksgiving and be off on christmas. Part-time has to work their scheduled time regardless of the holiday. For instance, all part-time staff is scheduled on Thursdays, so the all of the girls will have to work thanksgiving day. But, staff is allowed to work it out between themselves just as long as the shelter is covered. So, for instance, myself and my partner: She will work thanksgiving day all day. I will work the day after all day. There are three part time girls, so they are going to split the two days up into three hours slots, each coming in both days for three hours. They will stagger their times so that the shelter is covered all day.