Summer Fun at the Union Office
So not only is everyone in my office back at work on the first day after the Christmas break, we also spent the morning with a fun argument about the Holidays Act over cups of tea.
The question in point is what happens if Christmas isn't your normal day of work, and you work it, but you don't work Tuesday (and that's not your normal day of work either).
The answer (according to our office) is you get sweet fuck all, but they can't make you work Christmas Day (even if it says in your employment agreement that you'll work on public holidays), and you should just say stuff off, I'm not working Christmas unless you pay me time and a half.
I've worked lots of Christmas days, although not for the last two or three years. My job was playing the piano for resturant diners at various Wellington establishments. Sometimes it was a split shift so you had to keep straight most of the day, but it was worth it, because the going rate was triple time. I think we need to agitate and organise to recapture that condition today. Time and a half is crap recompense for the yessir nossir trip when you should be getting pissed with your mates.
ReplyDeleteyeah, time and a half nothing! triple time - that's the ticket!
ReplyDeletei have never understood why people go out places on Xmas Day - i mean i can understand if they need to fly somewhere, but is there really an undeniable need (not want) to eat out? doesn't everyone deserve to get a day to spend with family and friends, i.e. the same day?
ReplyDeleteYes, everybody does "deserve to get a day to spend with family and friends", but it doesn't have to be the same day.
ReplyDeleteSome people don't celebrate Christmas because of a different religion or no religion. Some are actively hostile to the ghastly marketing orgy that Chrismas has become. And many others are shackeled with family dutys of various kinds and just want to get the damn day over with somehow.
For many people, including the last mentioned, eating out can be a handy thing to do on Christmas day. Its a popular way of making it an occasion. And for triple time I'm happy to be part of facilitating that!
and who ends up working for nothing (even at triple time rates), if you spend Christmas at home with the whanua?
ReplyDelete