While most Aussies wake up on Christmas morning ready to crack into their presents and prepare their bellies for a big day of eating, there’s thousands of others who are sitting in their offices, patrol cars and studios… working.
Yep, working on Christmas Day. THE JOY.
No matter how much extra pay you’re getting to forgo family gatherings, there’s a certain disdain that only Christmas Day workers can relate too.
Watch: Here are a bunch of alternative Christmas movies. Post continues below.
To the doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers, journalists, hospitality staff, lifesavers, taxi drivers, prison guards, pilots and every job inbetween: We. See. You.
Here are the 15 things only those who land the Christmas Day shift (and would prefer to be anywhere but) know to be true:
1. It’s super busy… because you don’t just have skeleton staff you’ve got no staff. So you’re doing a whole department’s work with the least possible amount of people. FUN.
2. Social media can get in the bin. Because if one more person in a Santa hat shares a photo with their happy family and their plate of turkey you’ll scream.
3. You may or may not be slightly tipsy on the job (sorry boss). Because heck, if you and your fellow short-straw drawing colleagues can’t sneak in a celebratory Prosecco on Christmas Day, when can you.
4. No matter how much work tries to make you feel better by providing a, well let’s be honest, sh*tty Christmas spread it’s… sh*t. Sorry Karen, home brand sausage rolls and mince pies ARE NOT THE SAME, OKAY?
5. You and your Christmas Day colleagues share a special bond that no one can touch. You’ve been through things together.
6. You’ve never been more in tune with time and its passing. Why. Are. The. Minutes. So. Slow.
7. You can’t help but be… bitter. You just kind of hate the world and its joy. Yes, even if you are getting paid extra.
8. This act of martyrdom will be one that your colleagues and your family will ever forget. You deserve to spend the next year reminding them of your sacrifice.
9. You spend all day trying to push down the FOMO. Then you finish work and arrive home to find your family full and drunk and being boring AF. You wonder why you spent all day wanting to be with these idiots.
10. There’s nothing like the guilt that comes with leaving your family high and dry. In hindsight, there was no point getting paid double when you immediately spend the money and then some on “I’m sorry” Christmas presents to try and make up for not being there.
11. Thankfully, everyone’s way nicer to you; customers, colleagues, passersby – everyone.
So to everyone working Christmas Day – whether you’re fine with it, seething about it, or just feeling a little bit meh about it. Thank you for keeping the world revolving on December 25.
We see you.
Anything you’d like to add to our list? Let us know in the comments.
Top Comments
For people working in healthcare, there's rarely any festive food or treats provided by the area health service, you obviously don't get to drink on the job, and invariably you're dealing with patients and families that are more obnoxious than usual (they don't think to be "way nicer to you").
Yep. My husband is a officer and working all day today and Boxing Day tomorrow. His roster also falls on New Year’s Eve ( till midnight!) and New Year’s Day. He was rostered on last christmas and Easter too. Yes the penalty rates are nice but his three small kids miss him and he misses seeing the joy on their face when they open their carefully selected gifts and I’m left bringing the joy and feasts on my own. It’s not very .... christmassy. But that’s the nature of the job I suppose!