Working between Christmas and New Years?

[ZLoth]

Time for that dreaded thread.... will you be working on Christmas (12/25) and New Years (1/1) as well as the week in between? Or will you go out of town, or staying home?

For me, the answer is yup. Because of my work schedule, December 24th at 10 PM is a normal workday even though most of the shift is on Christmas Day. I volunteered to work Christmas Day. Then, even though the main company is on "holiday shutdown", the division I'm in is considered business essential, so I will be working many of the days between Christmas and New Years. Then, of course, I'm working New Years. Oh well, as I like to my extremely fake Italian voice, "ItzaPaycheck!"

Hopefully, some of you are able to take time off and get out of town.... maybe.

[Scott5114]

I actually get the 24th and 25th off, though only by virtue of those falling on my regularly scheduled days off.

My schedule the week of New Year's is totally hosed–I'm working 6 hours more than usual, and my days off are Monday and Thursday. New Year's Eve is a huge deal in my industry, akin to Black Friday in retail, so everyone on the payroll is scheduled to work.

[xcellntbuy]

My public employer closes for the holidays.  I have a full two weeks off.

[hbelkins]

I get the two Eves and the two Days off. I may take Monday the 23rd off, but haven't decided yet.

No plans to go anywhere.

[Duke87]

I have Christmas Day off on account of it being a holiday. I assume I also have New Years' Day off, but the holiday schedule for 2014 hasn't been sent out yet so I don't know with 100% certainty.

I will be working on the 24th, 26th, 27th, 30th, and 31st, though. No extended Christmas Break unless you use vacation time for it!

[corco]

I get Christmas Day and New Years Day off, and then I'll use vacation time on the 23rd and 24th. Christmas on a Wednesday sucks because there's no clean way to take it without taking the whole week off, which I don't want to do. As it stands, I'll drive back from Idaho to Montana on the night of Christmas and be back at work on the 26th.

The nice thing will be not having to be at work for more than two days in a row for a while- I'll work the 26th/27th, enjoy my weekend, the 30th and 31st, get a day off, and then the 2nd and 3rd and then another weekend.

[citrus]

My employer is generous this year....the 23rd-25th, 31st, and 1st are company holidays. I'm taking vacation time the 26th-27th, 30th, and 2nd. Out of town to visit family for Christmas; some of them are visiting me for New Year's.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Before this year I almost always worked Christmas and New Year's because of the extra pay, and we typically don't do much. This year I don't have a choice: I'll be off on the 23rd, 24th, and the 25th as well as New Year's Day. Thank you, Commonwealth of Virginia.

[Takumi]

I work 3 hours on Christmas Day. Not sure yet about New Years Day, but I certainly am working most days in between them, except for the weekend as it's my normally scheduled off weekend.

[realjd]

At my company, Christmas Eve is a work day this year, but our first day back at work isn't until Jan 2. We have the entire week between Christmas and New Years off as a paid holiday. My company does this in exchange for us working MLK Day, Veterans Day, Presidents Day, and other minor federal holidays. The only other ones we get are Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

I'll probably take vacation days on the 23rd and 24th.

[Duke87]

I get Christmas Day and New Years Day off, and then I'll use vacation time on the 23rd and 24th. Christmas on a Wednesday sucks because there's no clean way to take it without taking the whole week off, which I don't want to do. As it stands, I'll drive back from Idaho to Montana on the night of Christmas and be back at work on the 26th.

This is one reason why I refuse to move anywhere that is not local to family. I will not burn precious vacation time just to travel for holidays, nor do I have any desire to be driving long distance (or worse, flying) right around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I will be working from home on the 24th (and so will everyone else in my office), then meeting family for Christmas Eve dinner and heading home after dinner Christmas Day. Easy. Done. Not possible if you live hundreds of miles from your parents!

[Dr Frankenstein]

I took the two weeks off. I'll surely find something to do.

[DaBigE]

I took the two weeks off. I'll surely find something to do.

Ditto. Our company gives both Days off, and with the holidays being in the middle of the week, I decided early on to bank enough PTO to take the full two weeks off. The mid-week holidays would throw off my body calendar enough as it is. I'm looking forward to shutting the alarm off after I get up this Friday. 

[empirestate]

Well, since my job has "Christmas" in its name, I guess it's a reasonable expectation that I'll be working that day. But, the show closes December 30th, because Dick Clark. So, I'll be off New Year's Eve and Day (and thenceforth until I pick up another gig).


iPhone

[roadman65]

Yeah, I am for the good it does.  I have a job that pays either commission or minimum wage.  Whichever is higher, I receive, so my commission must exceed my total hourly wage for the pay period to obtain it.  So far this year, Christmas shopping is slow do to lack of customers, either because on line shopping is popular now, or some are frightened to spend money do to the political nature of this world these days, or something else. 

I hope that it picks up, as working for peanuts is not a good thing when you need money to survive.  I also heard rumors that if I do not make the required sales that the company wants us to make, that they will take if from your paycheck at a later date.  I do not know how they can pay you less than minimum wage, but if some sales people can work on total commission with no hourly rate, then it makes me wonder what other payroll loopholes are there for businesses to use to underpay their help.

[roadman]

I am taking Christmas week off to spend time with family in Champaign, Illinois.  I will be working New Year's week, except for New Years Day itself.

[golden eagle]

I'm off Xmas Eve and Day, along with New Year's Day (no NYE, though).

One thing I am noticing more is more companies closing for Christmas Eve. I work for a medical distributor, and many companies I call on for product information, etc., are closed on Christmas Eve. One company I know of is closed for the rest of the year!

[formulanone]

They're paid holidays for me, but (fingers crossed) there shouldn't be much activity for me on those two weeks, by virtue of both holidays falling on Wednesdays this year. Never mind that a last-minute plane ticket would cost the company dearly.

[roadman]

One thing I am noticing more is more companies closing for Christmas Eve. I work for a medical distributor, and many companies I call on for product information, etc., are closed on Christmas Eve. One company I know of is closed for the rest of the year!

Not as unusual as you might think.  Traditionally, most consulting firms I routinely deal with in my work have totally shut down the entire week between Christmas and New Years.  And we have almost always gotten a early release on Christmas Eve.

[vdeane]

Yeah, I am for the good it does.  I have a job that pays either commission or minimum wage.  Whichever is higher, I receive, so my commission must exceed my total hourly wage for the pay period to obtain it.  So far this year, Christmas shopping is slow do to lack of customers, either because on line shopping is popular now, or some are frightened to spend money do to the political nature of this world these days, or something else. 

I hope that it picks up, as working for peanuts is not a good thing when you need money to survive.  I also heard rumors that if I do not make the required sales that the company wants us to make, that they will take if from your paycheck at a later date.  I do not know how they can pay you less than minimum wage, but if some sales people can work on total commission with no hourly rate, then it makes me wonder what other payroll loopholes are there for businesses to use to underpay their help.

So places judge the number of hours you should be paid for in terms of how long management things your completed work (in this case, number of sales) should have taken rather than how many hours you actually worked.  Or they might hold "mandatory" trainings or meetings, and bring food so they can claim it was your lunch break rather than time worked.

[realjd]

Yeah, I am for the good it does.  I have a job that pays either commission or minimum wage.  Whichever is higher, I receive, so my commission must exceed my total hourly wage for the pay period to obtain it.  So far this year, Christmas shopping is slow do to lack of customers, either because on line shopping is popular now, or some are frightened to spend money do to the political nature of this world these days, or something else. 

I hope that it picks up, as working for peanuts is not a good thing when you need money to survive.  I also heard rumors that if I do not make the required sales that the company wants us to make, that they will take if from your paycheck at a later date.  I do not know how they can pay you less than minimum wage, but if some sales people can work on total commission with no hourly rate, then it makes me wonder what other payroll loopholes are there for businesses to use to underpay their help.

So places judge the number of hours you should be paid for in terms of how long management things your completed work (in this case, number of sales) should have taken rather than how many hours you actually worked.  Or they might hold "mandatory" trainings or meetings, and bring food so they can claim it was your lunch break rather than time worked.

I'm not in sales but I am salaried. I'm paid for my work output, not my hours. I'm not saying that roadman65's situation doesn't suck, only that hours worked aren't always the primary metric for determining pay.

[jeffandnicole]

Off Christmas & New Years (unless I'm called in to plow snow).  I work the regular weekdays inbetween, although I actually like doing so.  Very few people on the road, and I swear many of those that take off are the left lane dicks that normally crowd the highways.  Very few people in the office as well, so it's nice and quiet there too.

[bulldog1979]

I currently don't work, so the question doesn't apply in an employment sense. I went back to college this fall, and my semester wrapped up on the 13th with commencement for my associate's degree on the 14th. The spring semester does not start until 1/13, but I'll be registering for classes and getting other things in place the week before that, I'm sure.

[roadman65]

Florida is a Right To Work State which means that workers have no rights at all!  I worked for Denny's years ago and you could not take a break unless there were no customers in the place or unless there was enough staff around to handle those patrons that were in there.  Basically offering you a break is a previlidge and not a right unless you are a minor.

Anyway, in where I work they are fair as for every 6 hours work, WE MUST clock out and take 45 minuets.  Food is not the issue, it is just we are obliged to make sales even if we do not have customers.  If we do not make our projected goal, eventually we have to pay it back even if the company garnishes our wages to do so.

We do not even cut staff like Denny's did when it was slow, all sales people have to work the scheduled shift to the end regardless.  When I was in food and beverage the manager on duty would make judgement calls and cut the floor staff if there were few customers to save on labor costs.  My employer does not, but, I am to assume, that because of the projected goals system where they can charge the associate later for unmade sales, that is why they do not worry about labor costs so much. Like realjd pointed out it is sales oriented over hourly. 

I would much rather have my hours cut over loss of customer revenue than have negative numbers develop on my sales card any day.  Some hours are better than borrowed hours.  Most of all some is better than none.  I prefer hour cuts than lay offs, as most of us will agree on that.

[Scott5114]

Warning...unsolicited advice ahead...

Florida is a Right To Work State which means that workers have no rights at all!  I worked for Denny's years ago and you could not take a break unless there were no customers in the place or unless there was enough staff around to handle those patrons that were in there.  Basically offering you a break is a previlidge and not a right unless you are a minor.

This is probably illegal under federal labor laws, regardless of any Florida law to the contrary. (Note: not a lawyer, just a business owner who has researched this stuff for when I eventually have employees.)

If we do not make our projected goal, eventually we have to pay it back even if the company garnishes our wages to do so.

Garnishing your wages for unmade sales is probably also illegal, because once you've done 1 hour of work, you're entitled to 1 hour of pay, regardless of if it meets the employer's standards or not (at that point, the employer has bought your labor, if they don't like what they have bought, they can't return it, their only option is to stop buying labor from you). In any event, if you are an hourly employee, your hourly wage cannot drop below minimum wage (which, since it sounds like you would owe your employer money if you made no sales, is probably possible). I would advise contacting the state Department of Labor (or corporate human resources if this is a chain and you're fairly certain the practice is not endorsed by corporate). Failing that, seek employment elsewhere; your employer is not trustworthy.