[Tia Maria]

How many of you have to take compulsory Xmas holiday?

How long is your work shut down for?

How many days out of your allowance do they make you take?

Do you think this is a good/fair system?

Cheers

Tia

[wilson182]

We have to take the three days between xmas and new year. I work for the council, so there probably wouldnt be much demand for our services anyway. My boss did send an email round a few weeks ago asking if they wanted to open who would be up for it, but it was too short notice. I don't know if that is something they will bring in for next year. It would be nice to be able to use those three days when I choose, but I do get five weeks holiday so that is a bonus.

[YouMeAndThree]

As a Domestic Goddess I have no leave entitlement, but fingers crossed I might get a couple of hours off for good behaviour :D;)

Lx

[Milliemoo]

OH has to take 4/5 days I think. He'd be taking most of those anyway out of choice, so not a huge deal, but it's common for businesses to close over Christmas and force people to take a big chunk of their yearly entitlement.

I on the other hand have the opposite problem cause the shop only closes on Christmas Day and New Years Day :uhoh

Milliemoo

[gil]

It's when I would want to take my hols anyway as the school summer holidays are so long and the weather should be reasonable. We get given Christmas Eve as an extra day, so I am off from Dec 23 until Jan 13 and only use about 9 days of my annual entitlement :D

We used to close our training business in the UK in the same way and asked our guys to use some of their leave at that time. Let's face it, no-one is remotely interested in leadership development over the festive season, so it made sense there and here (as I am in the same field.)

Gil

[Jo Jo]

In my last company (in the UK) our office used to shut between Christmas and new year. Depending on the day of the week Christmas fell on, the office was shut for either 10 or 12 days in total, and we had to take 3 days of our annual leave during that time. I used to really like that system, as it meant you never had to work between Christmas and new year, whereas in my previous jobs you could only take that time off once every 2 or 3 years (as we had to take it in turns).

Some people used to grumble about it, but I thought it was great. Mind you, I did have a 51 day holiday allowance. Maybe if I had only had 20 day's holiday I wouldn't have liked being forced to take 3 of those days at a certain time.

[TonnyTessa]

The university is closed from the day before Christmas and won't reopen until 5th January. Although those days don't come out of my annual leave, as a non-Christian I much rather work and take them when I am celebrating my own festivals. But not complaining about the extra week and a half!

Does anybody know how bosses in NZ deal with time off for religious celebrations? I know that in the UK they have to allow you two days off (but it counts as annual leave). Any experiences with this in NZ?

[shakyle2906]

We close down in the Hospital on Christmas Eve at 12 noon and re open Monday 5th Jan - our hols is extended this year to 19th with inlaws coming over!

Sharon
x

[Hagabel]

Your hospital closes over Christmas?? I think I misunderstood this.
I want to work there!! I think we have a sign (invisible to staff) over the holidays outside our ER that says come and visit, free drugs and warm blankets for all.....................
:laugh

[willsken]

Well, we close from the 15th Dec and start again at the beginning of Feb... The joys of being a teacher! :D

[M-Squared]

I'm in IT so we have to provide cover and people are still on call. So it's BAU for us, though we do get xmas day, boxing day, jan 1st and jan 2nd off. Hopefully all the systems will behave themselves... ;) Last year I took the time off between xmas and new year, but this year I'm working that time as I'm taking 2 1/2 weeks (over half my yearly entitlement) in January when my parents are here.

[urban78]

I'm in IT so we have to provide cover and people are still on call. So it's BAU for us, though we do get xmas day, boxing day, jan 1st and jan 2nd off. Hopefully all the systems will behave themselves... ;) Last year I took the time off between xmas and new year, but this year I'm working that time as I'm taking 2 1/2 weeks (over half my yearly entitlement) in January when my parents are here.

Pretty much the same here, I'm considered as "essential staff" for airline operations. Although I have planned leave for 24-26 and 31 December, as well as 01 January ;)

All non essential staff where I work will need to take leave off at xmas though.

Jen

[Carey]

I feel hard done by ; I HAVE to take 3 weeks of my UNPAID 4 weeks holiday because the day care centre I work in, closes for 3 weeks. Seems unfair to me altho' I would choose to have some holiday time then anyway because my kids are on hoiday too.

[jubjub]

As a Domestic Goddess I have no leave entitlement, but fingers crossed I might get a couple of hours off for good behaviour :D;)

Lx

Same here... :)

Hubby was asked to consider taking leave so they could close down, but he used it all for our Uk trip, so it would be unpaid, and being as he is the boss of his dept, he is telling them to go jump as he wants his leave later on... mind you someone needs to be on call, so he will be doing that...

[Sam B]

Special Ed shuts down for 2 weeks. 2 days are given to us for free, the rest is annual leave. Then we are strongly encouraged to take more leave after this - I am taking the whole of January off, I've been saving my leave all year. There is nothing to do at work in January, people don't turn up for appointments and all the kindies are shut.

I love having a long break at this time of year and it doesn't bother me at all.

[CJ22]

We have to take a total of 6 days leave as the company shuts down. The company throws in 2 extra days as compensation. Including weekends and public holidays, it works out a total of 18 straight days off, which isn't bad for only 6 days annual leave I suppose.

Unfortunately, we'll have only have accrued 2 days by that time, so we'll end up owing them days! :(

Anyway, we're thinking about taking a trip to Wellington over that period.

[peebles16]

We have to take a total of 6 days leave as the company shuts down. The company throws in 2 extra days as compensation. Including weekends and public holidays, it works out a total of 18 straight days off, which isn't bad for only 6 days annual leave I suppose.

Unfortunately, we'll have only have accrued 2 days by that time, so we'll end up owing them days! :(

Anyway, we're thinking about taking a trip to Wellington over that period.


Same for me, off till 5th January but as only started the job in October will be in minus leave already :wah Mind you would have booked it off anyway with the littlies and am looking forward to it :yes

Karenx

[James 1077]

Our office shuts down on 23rd December and reopens 19th January!

They do give us a couple of extra days holiday in the year to make up for it and I would be taking the holiday anyway (in fact it will be nice using up all of my leave entitlement for once!).

There are a few people upset about how long the shutdown is for and I think that they are allowing people to come back to work a week earlier on the proviso that they fill their days with chargeable work.

[KerryS]

We're having a project break between 19 Dec and 4 Jan, but haven't been able to take any leave in the last 2 months, and won't be able to take any until go-live in July. As a contractor I don't get paid for holidays anyway, so doesn't really bother me. I'd have liked an additional week, but we simply don't have time at the moment.

[melly]

OH office doesn't shut down, so he just gets the public holidays.

[Familyofmonkeys]

OH gets 18 consecutive days, but 5 days are from his annual leave and the rest are given as 'company holidays'. He doesn't get to finish until 24th December though so hope we don't have any last minute shopping that needs doing.