Holiday schedules are supposed to bring a little joy to the workplace — not divide it. Yet every year, stories pour in from employees who feel punished simply because they don’t have children. One of our readers sent us a letter describing exactly how that unfairness played out for her last Christmas, and why saying “no” turned her into the office villain.
Last year, I worked Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because “no one with kids could.” I don’t have kids, so apparently that makes me the designated holiday mule. I didn’t complain — I covered the shift, missed my family dinner, and came home to cold leftovers and an empty apartment.
This year, the schedule came out and—surprise—I was assigned Christmas Eve again. No discussion. No rotation. Just my name slapped on the holiday like it belonged to me.
I told my boss, politely, “I can’t do Christmas Eve again. I already covered last year. Someone else needs to take a turn.”
He stared at me like I’d personally ruined the holiday season. He said, “Well… employees with families need that time. Maybe this job isn’t for you if you’re not willing to be flexible.”
Flexible = sacrifice your life, so others don’t have to.
I asked him why child-free employees are expected to give up every holiday. He said, “Because it impacts parents more.” I said, “It impacts me too.”
The next day, HR called me in and asked why I was “refusing critical shifts.” I explained everything — the pattern, the unfairness, the assumption that my time doesn’t matter.
They didn’t care.
They said, “Holiday priorities are different for parents. You need to be understanding.”
I asked, “Understanding… or available to be exploited?”
HR didn’t flinch. They said, “If you can’t support the team during peak season, maybe this isn’t the right environment for you.”
Translation: Work Christmas Eve, or we’ll make your life miserable enough that you quit.
When I left the room, two child-free coworkers quietly told me they’d been given the same threat before — just never dared to say no.
So now I’m the problem employee.
Not because I did anything wrong…but because I finally said I wan