Should parents get time off preference for holidays?

(MoneyWatch) Do you have to work on Christmas day? While we tend to think of it as a big vacation day for everyone, many, many people are still punching the clock. Hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, airlines, restaurants, movie theaters and call centers all have people working while the rest of us are opening presents.

But, even at these busy places, not everyone needs to show up on any particular holiday. So, who gets to have the day off?

A doctor and mother of two argued on her blog, A Cartoon Guide to Becoming a Doctor, that parents should get first pick. Childcare on major holidays can be difficult to find, and therefore, moms and dads should be given priority over the childless or empty nesters.

Some parents out there are nodding their heads. However, granting this privilege to only those who manage to reproduce is a bad idea. While childcare is difficult to find, it's not like Christmas sneaks up on you. It happens on the same day, every year. You can tell it's coming by the increase in toy commercials, decorated trees and fat men in red suits. Parents have 364 days to find childcare for Christmas.

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And while an employee may not have kids or may not celebrate Christmas, it may be the only day the rest of the family or old friends are available. People with teenagers, who don't require child care, are still bound by the school calendar and can only take that trip to Grandmas over Christmas break.

How can employers make the process fair for everyone? Here are some ideas to help dole out the holidays vacations.

Holiday pay. There is no law requiring overtime pay on a holiday. But, if you offer extra pay on a a high demand holiday (Christmas isn't the only one -- Thanksgiving, Yom Kippur, and even the 4th of July can be highly coveted) some people will prefer extra money to time off. Publicize the holiday pay bonus (even exempt employees can be given extra money) and let people sign up.

Plan in advance. The schedule shouldn't be put up the week before a holiday. For a major holiday, the schedule should be determined as far in advance as possible, months rather than days. This gives everyone the ability to arrange babysitting, travel, or what have you.

Alternate holidays. If you got Christmas off last year, you're working it this year. Or, if you worked Thanksgiving, you're in the clear for Christmas.

Make taking vacation on a holiday "expensive." Popular holidays should cost 2 days worth of PTO. Would you rather take Dec. 28th and 29th off or just get the 25th? People have different preferences, take advantage of that.

Don't make assumptions. Just because Karen in a single mom doesn't mean she needs (or wants) Christmas off. It may be the year her ex-husband has the kids. And, just because Stephen is Jewish it doesn't mean he wants to work. It may be the only day his family can get together as well.

Allow people to work it out themselves. The boss makes the schedule, but don't fret if people change things around. Let them bargain and negotiate who gets the coveted days off.

Don't rely on seniority only. While it makes some sense to say that the new guy has to work the holiday, nothing builds resentment faster than basing decisions purely on length of service. You build a better team when everyone gets an opportunity for some time off.

Increase telecommuting and on-call work. If your employees trouble shoot computer problems, do they need to be in their cubes or can they take calls from home, rotating through everyone? Instead of scheduling everyone, schedule only the bare minimum and call in as needed. More people may be able to stay home.

There isn't one special group that deserves important days off any more than anyone else. There's no legal obligation to give preference to employees with children. (There may be a legal obligation to allow someone to take a holy day off for religious reasons, as long as it doesn't cause the company hardship. Coworkers complaining about having to work while the religious person gets the day off may not be evidence of company hardship. Proceed with caution.)

[dehuamer]

Parents should not have preference for time off during the holidays. It was their choice to have kids. I also have a life/family and should have an equal chance to get holiday time off. Employees should alternate working on the holidays in some way - even if by lottery. When I worked in a call center, we had to bid for shifts and days off. It was completely by seniority but I still managed to not work many holidays. We were also able to sign up for same-day time off without pay, so if it was slow, we could leave early per mgmt's discretion. Employees could also have the option of trading days off. I completely disagree with using 2 PTOs for one day. Americans get the least amount of vacation time in the civilized world - don't make it worse than it already is!

[kate#2]

As a young worker with no kids I asked to work the holidays so workers with kids could have that time off.
After 12 years of no Thanksgiving or Christmas off, I wanted Christmas off cause now I had small children. Did 12e years of Christmas work pay off? Nope, apparently the reason "they" thought I worked Christmas was for the holiday pay. Back in the bin you go for holiday rotation. Argh..

[Slaphappy1137]

Wow. Everyone here is harsh. Not every place of employment is like this. I don't ask to have special treatment because I have kids. But I have enough forethought to plan my vacations at the beginning of the year around my kids schedules. I plan way in advance. Then a week before a holiday everyone is "I want this day or that off", but they are upset I already have it off. I hear "She gets special favoritism because she has kids." No, I plan in advance and can't afford not to. It's not my fault people some people can't think past next Friday night. I did this before I had kids too. I knew when I wanted my vacations so I worked it out early has my employer would allow. So stop this whinning so and so is getting the time because they have kids. Maybe the employee asked for it off in advance and planned. Most parent have to do that. So that statement above about having 365 days to find daycare is crap. Why should I have too if I have earned vacation time and plan way ahead? I am entittled to take my vacation time when I want the same as you. Maybe you should put your request in 365 days in advance then you can get it off to and I will have to find daycare.

[Rockykai]

I think you missed the point of the article.

[GoddessParticle]

One of my first jobs out of college was with a defense contractor. Since they were billing the government, they made sure that they created as much overtime as possible, including weekends. When the weekend and holidays rolled around, the department manager would inform me that I needed to work because other people wanted to spend time with their families, and I was single. When I balked at this, I was greeted with shock and disbelief--how could I possible not understand how unfair I was being? Mind you, this was not a once in a while thing--this was EVERY weekend and EVERY holiday! They looked at me like I was expected to know that family took priority over everything and I was being selfish and inconsiderate. Since I did not live by these values, they made sure they told me so in no uncertain terms. I thought there was going to be fainting spells when I told them that enjoying my weekend and holidays as I wanted was part of the freedom of being single. Truthfully, I did not mind working my share of weekends or holidays at all--it was THEIR selfish and inconsiderate sense of entitlement that their lives were more important than mine that bothered me.

[Adalaide778]

For many years I worked as a single woman in an company where many employees were parents of small children. At the time, with no family locally, I had no issues volunteering to work mornings on Christmas so they could be home. This was win/win for me as the mornings were slow and I could generally read and they were stuck working the afternoons and had to actually deal with people. Later, after I was married I simply stopped volunteering. While I didn't have children at home, I did have family and it isn't the place of someone else to judge how important or at what time of day I should be planning my family activities. How my husband and I celebrate our holidays should not be planned around coworkers' children, but instead be our own choice. I simply think each person should be considered equally, without regard to their life outside of work. What right does any one of us have to judge what is important in the life of another person?

[farfromfiction12]

I am dismayed by the disgruntle and bitter tones in the comments displayed here. While I emphatically agree with the article, it is not up to the company to determine what holidays are more important for whom and why, the reader's comments indicate how inconsiderate people are today. When I chose to have a child, I didn't ask my co-workers permission, and I went into it with my eyes wide open that my organization may need me on holidays I want to be with my son. That said, I have wonderful peers who work together to try to accommodate everyone as best as possible. To sit back and criminalize people for having children is shameful just because you chose a different path. I agree, you should not have to shoulder the burden, but instead of pointing fingers at your peers, consider their children. Christmas particularly is a holiday that is magical for kids. And while it may not be your responisibility to foster that for someone else, denying them that opportunity because of your own cynical perspective is disgraceful. Everyone has family and priorities, and no one can judge whose is more important, but when you override someone else's desire to be with their kids Christmas morning for something you could have done in the afternoon, you kind of deserve a special place hell.

[bethkiss]

I agree with you for the most part, but you need to consider that many people without kids would also like to enjoy Christmas day with their families (husband, parents, pets, etc). The holiday does not belong to any particular group of people. Perhaps the only way to solve this is to draw names out of a hat for who will work on Christmas day.

[MargKel]

You're dismayed and disgruntled by the bitter tones of the comments but then tell those who "override" someone else's desire to spend Christmas with their kids that they deserve a special place in hell. Well, what about the parent who feels their offspring trump everyone else's Christmas wishes -which may be to spend possibly a last Christmas with a grandparent or to see a brother who's been stationed overseas for the past 10 Christmases. Does the parent deserve a special place in hell for wanting to take away someone else's magical Christmas moment?

[klander24]

After nearly 18 years in business and having made the conscious decision not to have children, I am tired of carrying extra weight so that those who have chosen to procreate can run home to their kids. Time after time, I have been expected to be the one who stays late because someone has to get home to their kids. And then, come review time, the people with kids get the raises, because "families need it more." Ever tried to live on one income in today's day and age? There is no fallback, short of working two jobs. Also? I pursued a graduate degree while working full time. No one considered that an excuse for me to leave before the work was done - but that was still my life, and in my view, it should still count, and not be given less priority than someone's kids. If you choose to spend your time outside of work raising little people, then so be it. But don't infringe on the rights of people who have chosen to spend their time outside of working doing something else. It's their time just as much as family time.

[redskingirl]

Enough! Some use their kids for everything: getting the best hours, leaving early, coming in late, taking the later lunch, taking extra food home from working lunches, school vacations, snow days, sick days, doctors' appointments - I have seen it all with moms and dads -- When people need sitters, they should plan and when they don't, everyone else takes up the slack. No one should get privleges - it's a job - not a popularity contest.

[Jaliaz]

Have some kids and then have this discussion.

[dsd13130]

I did have children and I TOTALLY agree that because you procreate doesn't mean you should be treated any differently. Fair is fair and I'm REAL tired of that parent card being played.

[nsfwalldayeveryday]

Peoples are peoples whether they have children or no children. Children are a choice, not a free pass for additional benefits. I have 5 children and am raising a grandchild. As a manager, I am not aware of any law that would entitle a parent to preferential treatment over someone that has no children. It seems to me that all are entitled to respect for the choices we have made. Equality is the state of being equal and is not qualified by offspring vs no offspring. When I gave birth, I accepted responsibility, not a free pass.

[PSU_HRIM]

As a 20 year veteran of the hotel business, I can honestly say this has just never been an issue. I've always encouraged my team to work it out amongst themselves. Here's a novel idea: when you expect adults to act like adults and don't treat them like children, they do (most of the time). Most people who don't care that much about having Christmas (or New Years or whatever) can be sympathetic to those that do. Similarly, those with young kids may not want to work an early shift but might be ok with an evening shift. I've had to get creative with scheduling, but I've never had anyone disgruntled or bitter about their holiday schedule.