Hot take: if you hate Christmas shutdowns, don’t work somewhere with Christmas shutdowns!

People take jobs knowing there’s a Christmas shutdown, then every year act like it’s been sprung on them when it gets confirmed in May. It's maddening.

And it’s not even a bad deal where we are. It's 2 weeks spent to get 3 weeks off because the company gifts 2 extra days around the 3 public holidays to make up a bonus week.

But every year when the offical announcement goes out, the complains stat immediately:

“But I’m saving my leave for a 6 week trip to Europe for my 30th”

"I don't want to to Japan, I want to go in the Spring for the Cherry Blossoms!"

"No, that's going to work.....I want to go see BTS in Malaysia and Singapore which is a week and a half BEFORE the shutdown. No January doesn't work, the concerts aren't on then".

"Sorry but I'm not wasting 2 weeks at the hottest and busiest time of year"

"No....my family doesn't even celebrate Christmas, it's a waste".

I get it, but the shutdown dates didn’t come out of nowhere, you know it is a thing in corporate, \but you still agreed when you took the job and are now crying foul.

They’re the same every year and everyone gets months of notice...

Union complaints because people don’t want to use leave, it's discrimination because Minh doesn't celebrate Christmas but then Becky complains that just because she is white and Anglo doesn't mean she celebrates Christmas and why should she be forced to burn it while someone else gets an exemption?

I have to deal with questions from above me about why people why half my team is demanding half pay. unpaid leave, purchased leave instead of saving 2 weeks for this as encouraged.

It’s framed like the shutdown is the issue, not the fact they’ve planned multiple overseas trips and concerts but refused to plan for the one fixed break the company has every year.

I get not liking shutdowns in principle. Fair enough.

But taking a role with a known shutdown, getting months of notice every year, and still acting like it’s a new and unreasonable concept is just exhausting to deal with.