Aussies are divided after many workers expressed frustration at having to use up their annual leave over Christmas and New Year.
Most Australian awards include a clause that allows bosses to request and force staff to take leave when businesses are closed for the holidays.
But angry Aussies have taken to social media to demand they have the option to work over the holidays.
A single mother took to Reddit to complain about the “unfair” situation she found herself in.
“I hate being forced to take so much leave when my kids are with their dad, and then not having any leave when I COULD see my loved ones,” she wrote.
‘I wouldn’t mind if it was a day, but it’s just unfair to have to take a third of my annual leave when I really don’t want to.’
Other Aussies agreed and would prefer leave during the break not to be deducted from their accrued numbers.
‘It’s annoying and makes no sense. If you want people to take time off, give us extra time off,” one person wrote.
Many Aussies have demanded they have the option to work over the holidays (stock image)
Many Aussies are unhappy about being forced to take annual leave over the Christmas period. Pictured: Sydneysiders celebrating the holidays at Martin Place
Another believes that if a workplace chooses to close over Christmas, annual leave should be ‘in addition to the statutory 20 annual leave days’.
“It probably won’t happen, but I can dream,” they added.
A third wrote: ‘My workplace is closed for two weeks, but we get those two weeks as extra leave, which is what forced leave should be.’
Others said forced furlough at Christmas meant they did not have enough for planned holidays in the new year.
“I booked holidays in January because I have a family commitment to attend to, so I should actually be negative for December holidays,” one person commented.
A second added: ‘I’m also childless so I prefer to work during the school holidays, let people off with their kids and then take my own leave during the year when travel is cheaper.’
But many Aussies said they didn’t mind taking their annual holiday over Christmas as they needed a break after a ‘really long year’. The photo shows revelers on Christmas Day at Bondi Beach
Another who planned to work from home was instead told they would be taking time off to “spend time with family.”
“I’m single and there are no children in my family yet, I think I spend quality time with the dogs,” they said.
Superior People Recruitment founder Graham Wynn said it is difficult for staff to avoid the enforced leave clause.
‘People don’t like it because they might want four weeks off during the year, but they have to use a week over Christmas and New Year and I think people then say, ‘This isn’t right… I don’t want that holiday’. ” he said Yahoo News.
‘But if your employee drops out, you should be on holiday.’
While many Aussies were furious about being furloughed, other workers were longing for a well-deserved break.
“I’m crawling until my Christmas leave, I’m about two weeks off and my brain definitely needs it,” one Reddit user wrote in another post.
“I know a few people are annoyed by the forced furlough and it’s messing up their annual leave, but a forced reset can sometimes be a good thing.”
‘I have never been so happy this year that I was forced to leave. I desperately need to recharge and hopefully heal my body for a new year onslaught,” one user replied.