‘Crock of s--t’: The fiery Christmas debate ripping every office apart

Hundreds of Aussie office workers are calling for employers to fund additional paid annual leave over the Christmas period. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

Aussie office workers are campaigning for employers to fund additional leave over Christmas. Picture: iStock

Aussie office workers are calling for employers to provide additional paid annual leave over the Christmas break, with many revealing they take leave without pay over the festive period to conserve annual leave for later in the financial year.

With the majority of offices closing for the festive season on or before Monday, December 23, office workers will be using at least seven of the standard 20 days annual leave during the Christmas period fortnight, ending Friday, January 3.

In heated discussions on Reddit, many workers have called the practice as a “crock of s--t”.

“They [the business] should be funding it themselves. If it were a couple of days then that would be reasonable but some employers take the p--s by shutting down for two or three weeks over Christmas/New Year and expecting you to burn half your annual leave for it,” one commenter said.

“It also means that you’re running low for most of the year and you can’t take time off outside of the Christmas New Year period because you have to ensure you have enough saved up for the end of the year.”

A second commenter said they can’t “stand” the practice.

“I couldn’t think of anything worse than being on annual leave with a bunch of families with kids. Not to mention the increased price. In my view if you prove you have booked time off for February and March then you shouldn’t have to take it. I get the bit about not wanting people to stack it ‘just in case’ though,” they wrote.

Not all workers appreciate the Christmas shutdown period. Picture: iStock

But not everybody opposes the Christmas shutdown, with some describing the Christmas holidays as a great use of annual leave.

“I really, really love the shutdown. Zero work happens during this time so there is no catching up when I return/I don’t feel like I am falling behind. It is a proper break with no interruptions,” one commenter wrote.

“I ‘work’ as close to either side of the shutdown. I say ‘work’ because there is little to do in the immediate days before and afterwards. Remaining contactable is really it.

“Aside from the paid public holidays, my work gifts half the leave needed to cover the remainder of the shutdown so typically there is two to three days of my annual leave spent on summer break.

“I’m okay with that cost. Two to three days of my annual leave to have Two-and-a-half weeks off? Yes, please.”

A second added that officer workers should be “careful for what you wish for,” and that they would love a guaranteed week off over the Christmas period.