Working long weeks and not having many holidays is something the industry calls for and needs from it’s employees, so reality sets in when the idea and fact that your life and family will have to be scheduled around your workplace really sets in. At my current job I barely have holidays and I am just a server. I can only imagine a higher position. Directly next door to my job is a Hilton Hotel and we all get just a bit closer during the holiday season. The ones stuck with those 12+ hour shifts during the holidays I feel for you and there’s many others who are in our positions. Christmas is currently only a few days away and a month ago I already knew I’d be working before, during and after Christmas no ifs ands or buts about it.
Most of the time, companies and establishment have employees who have been working with them for years and some that have only been there for a short period of time. Being the one there for only a short period of time a lot of times means that you are second priority when it comes to holidays off. Which I guess is okay but also a little unfair most times.
Seniority in an establishment is well respected and aside from new comers 9/10 times the more experienced ones are the ones that are willing to work the most. Either for the love of the job or just out of respect for the job and title that they hold.
I currently work on Times Square in NYC and being such a tourist area, we are very frequently asked to stay open past our hours of operation. I’ve had customers ask me why we don’t stay open 24/7 being that we are in such a great location. And I simply looked and responded, “because as people not just employees, we have homes and beds that we would like to see after 12+ hours of service”. The customer followed by apologizing for not being considerate to others. I felt like patting myself on the back. But in reality, by the time that night shift is clocking out of work, breakfast shifters are either waking up or leaving their homes to come right back to work.
