Will you be working on Christmas Day?

With just a few days to go until Christmas many of us are beginning to wind down at work, using a quieter period to catch up on admin, perhaps. But of course, next week doesn't mean a holiday for everyone.

 

From ambulance drivers, care home workers and nurses to police, firefighters, people working in petrol stations, pub, bar and restaurant staff, coastguards, and, yes, journalists, many people will forego time with family to work over Christmas – whether they like it or not.

 

According to the TUC, the number of people who worked on 25 December rose by 78% between 2004 and 2010 (the most recent years for which figures are available). In 2010 almost 172,000 employees were in work on Christmas Day, compared to just over 96,000 in 2004 – both fell on a Saturday.

NHS and social care workers are likely to make up the largest group of people working this Christmas, but two years ago more than 14,000 people also worked in hotels, pubs and restaurants on Christmas Day, and a similar number worked in local shops and garages.

 

With the rise of remote working, the TUC said there could be an increase in the number of people at home but "on call" during the Christmas period.

 

Andy (not his real name) is a civil servant working in central London. He is expected to be on call, "the whole time". He says: "It's highly unlikely that I'll be called into action and it's more a case of just ticking the boxes to ensure that we're not seen to have left no one around in the event of a crisis, but you never know, something could happen. I will receive extra pay and I would much rather be at home with my family than in the office, so I'm happy with it. I had last Christmas off so it's only fair that I am on call this year."

 

There's also the rise of covert Christmas workers, those people who can't resist checking emails and doing the odd bit of work even when they are supposed to be off. A survey of 1,000 workers by DocuSign found that nearly a third of people will do some work at home during any additional time off they have in December, with 25-39-year-olds the most likely to log on to emails and work during the holidays.

 

Will you be working over Christmas? Were you effectively forced to work whether you liked it or not? And will you be receiving a bonus or increased pay for working during the festive season?