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Christmas Eve - full or half day?

Hi all, 

We have recently decided as a business to close the premises at around 1pm on Christmas Eve and office workers will be working from home. 

Previously Shopfloor staff (who work until 12.30 on Friday's - 37 hours pw) were told that if they wanted to book Christmas Eve off, a full day must be used. This didn't make sense to me due to their contracted hours, so with it landing on a Friday this year it has caused some upset. 

The response from Senior Management was that this was put in place so that it was fair for both Shopfloor and Office staff (office staff work until 4.30pm each day - 38.75 pw). A full day had to be used regardless of your working hours.

One of the Directors has overturned this rule for the Shopfloor this year and now I have office staff complaining this isn't fair as it has been the rule for as long as they have worked here. 

I suggested to our CEO giving everyone Christmas Eve off if office staff are all working from home. As a gesture of goodwill for both Shopfloor and Office for all their hard work through the pandemic and across the year. I'm not sure my Executive Directors will buy into this however. 

Could I get others views? What are your thoughts of the previous policy? How do other navigate the holidays for the Christmas period. 

Thanks 

Jodie 

708 views
  • We finish at midday on Christmas Eve, office based and customer-facing. If you want to book the day off, you have to use a full day’s leave - finishing at midday is the perk for those that have to come in on Christmas Eve!
  • Johanna

    | 0 Posts

    CIPD Staff

    13 Dec, 2021 16:59

    Fairness is usually key in these situations - and why cause any kind of resentment on such a key day before Christmas after another challenging year. We're all having the afternoon of 24/12 off and we don't have to take leave for it. If people had already booked it before it was announced, they got that half day back. We're office workers (remote at the moment) so that does make it a bit easier! Hope you get it sorted :)
  • In reply to Maya:

    Our approach has been similar to Maya's. If someone needs or wants the whole day off on Christmas Eve, they need to book it in advance. However, there's generally (not guaranteed) an on-the-day 'happy Christmas, off you go' message circulated by a member of the senior team anywhere between lunchtime and 3-ish on 24/12. It doesn't work for every department so really only applies to the office team. It's appreciated but people know not to take it for granted nor to rely on it. We would not reimburse the x hours' leave back to those who were already off. People understand this on both sides and it's not been an issue. So our approach is lower-key than the one in the OP but maybe an idea for future years, depending on how it would be received?
  • We finish at lunchtime on Christmas eve and if people want to take the whole day off, they only have to book half a day's leave to cover the morning.

    People who have to work a full day on Christmas eve due to their role, get to take a half day off during January
  • In reply to Teresa:

    Nearly every employer I have come across (hundreds) take the view that Christmas eve is a full day so a full days holiday is required if people want it off.

    Why take a whole day when most people get half a day for free!
  • In reply to Peter Stanway:

    MY experience of many employers is much like Peters - many/most employers treat it as a full day for AL purposes if you book it in advance
  • We follow the same principle as Maya - if someone comes into work for Christmas Eve they can finish early after a Christmas drinks reception, those not coming in have to book a full day's leave.

    However this is now complicated by those working from home where it is difficult to enforce. Given current government guidance to work from home our Chairman has cancelled the Christmas drinks and given everyone the full day off!
  • For me, anyone wanting to take annual leave on Christmas Eve should be booking leave as they would for any other Friday it is a normal working day. What do your shop floor staff usually have deducted for taking a Friday off?
    Our rule is you book leave in accordance to what you were due to work that day. So it would be different for shop floor staff and office staff. Those in work that happen to finish earlier is a perk! Hope your able to get it sorted.
  • In reply to Maya:

    We do exactly the same as Maya.