Xmas Eve working to 8pm. Problems getting home!

judderman62

SomeBozo wrote: »

Alas I do have a issue with some of ceridwens "advice" of late.

The issue is, Xmas Eve is a standard working day. If you would finish 8pm on a normal day then thats that.

Getting to and from work is the employees responsibilty. Ethically you think work would divi up the work so people with cars could come in later and finish late, letting other staff finish early on public transport, but legally, its a normal working day!

Bozo

What is it with all these people saying Christmas Eve is a normal day - I have been in working life for 30 years and have never worked anywhere where I have been asked./expected to work a full day. Finishing times have varied from 1200 - 1400 (this year at present employer 1400) and even then I doubt we will get more than a dozen calls if that.

Maybe it varies in industry sector - but most of our clients either also finish lunch time or don't work at all on Christmas Eve (and our customers are in varied sectors).

pinkshoes

I've never worked for a company where we've been allowed to finish early on Christmas Eve!! I'm hoping to be able to finish at 4pm this year, rather than 5.30pm, but won't hold my breath!

OP, Did the management agree to your usual finish hour of 5.30pm?

If the won't agree, then write them another letter saying you'll all work until 8pm, but on an overtime rate of £20 an hour. This will at least cover all taxi fares home!!

Poppy9

I work for the council and only in the last few years have we been given an early close on Christmas eve. Previously we've had to keep the office staffed till normal closing time. At the time I was childless and I liked to go out for Xmas eve afternoon so I used to trade that for working the days inbetween Xmas when the people with children wanted time off.

MoonCake_2

Well I am working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year, both until 8pm. However this is normal in my job and not the sort of job where you can go home early because of things like Christmas Eve or Snow Days.

However this reminded me of my last job where we were always told that it would be a normal day (work until 4.30) but every year the boss would let us go a couple of hours early if we worked through our break. However, he was so mean as because everyone expected to go early and used to chat about it (take bets on what time we would be allowed out this year), the more people talked about it the more time he added on!!!

In the OPs case, if there is no public transport (have you checked, are you sure?) then that is a different matter. Normally you should not expect to go home early, as others have said, IT IS a normal working day but I think that due to the getting home issue it is not too much to ask. I would make sure that all public transport is not running, in my area it is running all night as normal.

lrr_2

bestpud wrote: »

Are you naive or just hopeful?

Neither, I just wont be bullied by companies with the threat of redundancy anymore. Everyone is in the same boat.

I used to do lots of overtime with my last employer to help them out and you were no more thought about. Look after number 1 from now on!

viktory

Poppy9 wrote: »

I work for the council and only in the last few years have we been given an early close on Christmas eve. Previously we've had to keep the office staffed till normal closing time. At the time I was childless and I liked to go out for Xmas eve afternoon so I used to trade that for working the days inbetween Xmas when the people with children wanted time off.

I work for the council and we will be shut on Christmas Eve - we have all been given a grace day off. :j

OP have the management responded?

Fluffi

outsetsailer wrote: »

The maddest thing is on normal Wednesdays, we work up to 5:30pm! Why would our management expect us to work an additional 2+ hours longer on Christmas Eve? Two days a week, the call centre is open til 8pm

I think in this case it sounds like management have been unfair in asking you to work until 8pm without giving sufficient notice. As you say other people often have other commitments in the evenings, so would need a lot more notice than week for working so late. It sounds in this case that working until 8pm on Christmas Even should ideally should be on a voluntarily basis by those that are able to do so. Management should have been a bit more organised and realised earlier they want to keep the call center open until 8pm a few weeks ago and given notice then.

Unfortunately the fact there is no public transport Christmas Eve isn't the employers problem and not something they need to consider, its no different to the trains not operating because of trees on the line/power failures/snow in the afternoon in which case people would have to get buses/taxis/walk home! When train failures happen to me, its certainly not my employers problem, even it takes 3 hours to get home I can't charge them for it or come into work late the next day.

ceridwen

Thinking on about the short notice - ie one week - that you would be expected to work on later than normal. I guess you've "blown it" for doing that now - but, at any time of year, if an employee knows they wont be working a certain evening then there is a good chance that they will have arranged a social event and quite possibly paid for a ticket for it in advance. This is obviously all the more likely at Christmas period.

This being the case - I think I personally would have just turned round and said "I'd like to help you out - but, as I know we're not scheduled to work that evening - I've booked and paid to go to a social event and I'd not be able to get a refund if I tried. So - I'm sorry - but I regret I'm already booked for that evening." I'd borrow a ticket for a suitable/expensive event from a friend if I didnt have one lined up anyway - to prove that I really had already made unbreakable arrangements for that evening.

Employers cant chop and change the hours employees work from those they expect - quite apart from transport considerations - as those employees obviously have a life to lead and will have made arrangements for social events in their sparetime.

bestpud

lrr wrote: »

Neither, I just wont be bullied by companies with the threat of redundancy anymore. Everyone is in the same boat.

I used to do lots of overtime with my last employer to help them out and you were no more thought about. Look after number 1 from now on!

That's one thing but imagining an employer has to provide a taxi home for their staff, or they will be breaching insurance terms is quite another!

Of course they don't have to get the employees home!

ceridwen

O.P. - what happened in the end? How did things turn out?