No Kids, No Time Off: She Was Penalized at Work for Being Childless During the Holidays
A lot of people look forward to family, warmth, and rest at Christmas. But for people who work in fields that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s just another shift—unless they have kids. A hard-working worker in a 24/7 business is unfairly given the most work to do over the holidays in this very personal story. She’s been asked to work late hours because she doesn’t have kids, even though she’s not set to work on Christmas Eve and doesn’t usually work on Tuesdays.
The story is heartbreaking not only because of the unfairness, but also because of the pain that isn’t talked about: three miscarriages during a ten-year battle with infertility. Coworkers with kids get more time off, sometimes even both Christmas and Boxing Day. But she has to cover jobs that other people don’t want to do, because it’s thought that her time and grief are less important. This is a heartbreaking reminder that discrimination based on family standing and emotional labour happen all too often during the holidays.
It’s natural to want to rest over the holidays. In some cases, employees are pressured to work when they’d rather be with their loved ones
A British worker shared she’s forced to work over Xmas while her colleagues get to finish earlier because they have kids
Your experience brings to light a serious problem that isn’t given enough attention in the workplace: the unconscious biases that can affect schedule choices, especially around holidays like Christmas. If you don’t have children, being given extra jobs just because of that is not only rude, especially after going through hard times in your own life, it may also be against UK employment law.
Figuring out the legal framework
The Equality Act 2010 in the UK protects people from being discriminated against because of certain “protected characteristics.” These include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity leave, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Even though parental status isn’t mentioned directly, unfair treatment of employees without children could be legally challenged if it makes them less competitive and indirectly targets a protected group.
One example of indirect sex discrimination would be a policy that hurts women without children more than it hurts women with children. Furthermore, constantly giving less desirable shifts to workers without children without a good business reason could be seen as unfair treatment. Acas
The emotional cost of unfair treatment at work
In addition to the legal issues, these kinds of practices at work have a big effect on people’s emotions. Being planned over and over again during holidays, especially after a loss, can make you feel even more alone and unappreciated. It’s important for companies to care about the mental health of all of their workers, not just those with families.
Trying to get fair practices implemented
When it comes to parenting, it’s important for workplaces to create welcoming spaces where all workers feel valued. Setting clear rules for scheduling, letting employees choose their own hours, and making sure that holiday jobs are shared fairly can help reduce anger and build a stronger team dynamic.
Your experience shows how important it is to keep talking about fairness and inclusion at work. By drawing attention to these problems, you join a larger movement that wants all workers to be treated equally.
