I Refused to Be the Office’s “Go-To” Holiday Backup Just Because I’m Single

Workplace drama can easily outdo any TV series—especially when holiday schedules turn into a real rivalry. One woman took to Reddit after being pushed to work on Christmas simply because her coworkers had kids and she didn’t. But instead of swallowing it quietly, she came up with a response her entitled employers never saw coming. Dive in to see how it all played out.

The OP turned to Reddit to vent about her workplace scandal.

The OP wrote, “I am an ICU nurse, and for the last six years I have worked every Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s. It was no big deal to work all these holidays because I do not have an immediate family (widowed 5 years ago and no children due to infertility issues).

My parents and siblings have jobs in retail and public safety, which require them to work the holidays as well, so we traditionally celebrate the holidays several days after the actual holiday.”

The woman had a planned and approved holiday, but her plans were ruined.

The woman shared, “This year my parents retired and wanted to take a family trip to Europe because we have many relatives in Europe, and they wanted to go to the European Christmas Markets. In July of this year I requested the week of Christmas off, and it was approved. My brother and sister, as well as their spouses, also got the time off from their jobs since it was requested so early. We are heading to Europe for Christmas!

Fast forward to the last week of October: my boss calls me in the office to tell me that she has to take away my Christmas vacation because a co-worker had a baby a few months ago, and she needs the time off to celebrate the baby’s first Christmas (this same co-worker had a baby last year and had this baby 10 months after the other one). The co-worker did not work any holidays last year and is not scheduled to work any this year (made boss aware of this point).”

The OP worked every holiday, but even this didn’t save her from being treated unfairly.

The woman wrote, “I argued that my vacation request was approved back in July, and I made plans based on that request being approved. Also, that I had worked the last six Christmas holidays and would be working Thanksgiving and New Year. She stated that the priority for holiday vacations was given to those who had families.

I informed her that just because I am widowed and do not have children does not mean I do not have a family. She backpedaled and stated that people with children were given priority so they could spend Christmas with them.

Again I reminded her that my vacation was approved back in July and I would not cancel my trip so someone who did not request vacation time in a timely manner could have the time off just because she had a baby. Needless to say, my boss did not change her mind. She put me on the schedule for Christmas and took my co-worker off.”

The woman’s payback was epic and unexpected for her employers.

The woman explained, “I took the issue to HR, and they simply said the manager is the one who determines the schedule, and no work rules were broken. Well, her plan backfired as I turned in my notice, and my last day will be the day before Thanksgiving. Since I quit, my co-worker now has to work Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My other co-workers are saying I am a jerk for not just sucking it up and working Christmas and letting my other co-worker have Christmas with her baby. Normally, I do work all the holidays so people can have time with their family. I have for the past six years! The one time I want to do something special with my family, I am the villain. I do not feel I am wrong here since I requested the time off and made plans accordingly.

I will greatly miss my job, as I loved the hospital where I worked and the unit I was in. However, it is time for reflection and to put me first, something I have not done since my husband passed. Since nursing jobs are plentiful, I plan on taking the entire month of December off and looking for a new job in the new year.”

People of Reddit expressed their emotional opinions in the comments

• One user wrote, “You owe them nothing. You were proactive and were given the time off. Other people’s lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on your part. It sounds like you’ve given a great deal of yourself over the years to the point you were taken for granted.
  The fact your co-workers don’t see any of your sacrifices is just another reason to run. It’s time for you to enjoy a holiday with your loved ones.”
• Another one mentioned, “I worked at a place where my teammates would routinely schedule potlucks for my day off and then try to guilt me into driving to work to bring in food for them. According to them, since I wasn’t married with kids, I didn’t have anything to do on my days off.”
• One more user shared, “In particular, women who are unmarried and don’t have children are considered less than and should simply serve others so they can prove their worth 🙄”

• One more person added, “You’ve paid your dues, and now it’s your turn to have holidays you qualify for and apply for in a timely manner. Manager and HR have failed you, so why stick around for this treatment? Other nursing jobs are out there. Now everyone gets their just desserts! Enjoy your memory-making trip with your family.
  Furthermore, ‘other co-workers’ who don’t see the ham-handedness of the manager’s decision making are beyond stupid. Let them work the holidays.”
• Another user wrote, “I’m glad OP quit. You’re not a villain your former coworkers are trying to make you out to be. Why aren’t they offering to cover the new mother’s shifts?
  People that consistently work the holidays, weekends, or less desired shifts always get screwed over. Especially if they request time off. Heaven forbid they don’t have a gaggle of children as an excuse to not work less desirable shifts.
  It’s not your responsibility to be responsible for poor management and scheduling. They showed you how little they cared about you when trying to rescind your time off. Enjoy your trip to the fullest, and post the most social media-worthy pics.”

Drama in the workplace is more common than we’d like to think. But we deal with it because we either need the money or we’re trying to build a career. However, sometimes things just go too far. One of our readers reached out to share their experience.