Birthdays

[Peppergirl]

Specifically, people who can't/won't (insert activity here, but mostly work) on their birthdays.

I don't understand this phenomenon, and I'd like to.

What reminded me of it was a recent encounter with one of my employees. Her birthday happened to be on 7/3 - which fell on a Sunday, and of course (here in the US) that's the day before the 4th of July, which is a national holiday. She was nearly hysterical because I wasn't sure I could let her have off on this day.

"But I never work on my birthday!!!"

This is a grown woman...likely my age or maybe even older.

Maybe it's because I was raised in a household that birthdays for adults are no big deal. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy people getting me a little cake, or a little gift, or wishing me a happy birthday - but I've never, ever insisted that I not work on my birthday. It's just never been on my radar.

Now, if someone planned a party for me or wanted to take me out - and I happened to be working that day, I'd ask off - but if I couldn't be approved, it was no big deal. We'd simply celebrate on another day or whatever.

And she's far from the first adult person I've encountered who feels this way. I've never understood it - but I'd like to.

Does anyone here refuse to work on their birthdays? If so, why?

[AdminAssistant]

Since I have a summer birthday, that's generally not been a problem for me. However I have worked on my birthday (twice), moved on my birthday (3 times), and gone to someone else's surprise birthday party on MY birthday. And that all sucked. I prefer not to work, and like to go out to do something special. But...summer birthday...mostly other academics for friends....planning outings has always been a nightmare. People aren't in town or they're poor or they're busy. It's just...having a special "me" day, y'know? A day that you get to do what you want, get extra attention, get presents and drinks and the TMNT Turtle Van that you've always wanted. To re-live the fun of being a kid on your birthday, when Mom makes your favorite breakfast and you get to stay in your pj's until noon and eat pizza until you explode.

Yeah...I've had a series of not-so-fantastic birthdays. But, now with Fiance with me...I'm hoping this one will be better.

[boringscreenname]

I don't mind working on my birthday, it's just part of the job. If it's my scheduled day to work, and it happens to fall on my birthday, oh well I just wait and celebrate on one of my days off. I could take a vacation day, but they aren't paid, and thus I lose money on my paycheck, so it's just easier to show up at work.

I also have no problem working major holidays, it's just part of the territory when you work somewhere that there has to be 24/7/365 coverage. There are plenty of people at my work who complain about working on holidays and their birthdays. I just roll my eyes and bite my tongue, because really who gives a crap?

[Ginger Tea]

When I was a child birthdays were about prezzies, sure you got toys periodically throughout the year and saved up for some yourself, but birthday/christmas were the big toys.
Adult hood birthdays less so, being old enough to drink and going out on your birthday, what makes it different to going out on any other friday/saturday night? (well free drinks for most of the night notwithstanding)

Where I work we are open every day of the year, some days we do a double production so we have a skeletal crew on christmas day/new years day, but I normally find myself working one or both each of the 7 or so years I've been there and getting time off during christmas was a no go area which upset my mum who was born on christmas day and her 2nd son (me) lived the other end of the country so could not visit. We had our last family christmas in feburary 05 as my mother passed away some months later, so now I don't mind working christmas day, I just don't want to be pissed off on my mothers birthday (sadly this eventually happens)

I don't think anyone here (cambridge not fratching) knows my birthday and I don't do anything on it or advertise that it's due, I can get drunk on my night off and buy my own lego star wars any day of the year.

I think it was pret a manger that offered staff their birthday off, TBH I would offer the day after off as that would be the one with the hang over.

[drunkenwildmage]

Personally I don't care one away or another if I work on my birthday..I've also gotten pretty "ho-hum" about it anyways.. I guess that is part of having it at the end of the summer, and having to 'celebrate' my birthday on the first day of school a few times, and part of it, is that My Wife's Granddad, Who she was really close to, passed away on my birthday 6 years ago, so now my birthday is associated with a tragic event in my wife's family. In fact one year, I was so wrapped up in what I was doing, I had forgotten that that it was my Birthday untill a co-worker wished me a Happy Birthday.

On a side note: The Union people here have it in the contract, that they get their birthday off as a paid holiday..

[ExRetailDrone]

I don't have a problem working on my birthday. It's just another day in the life, honestly. It's not like when I was a kid and I was looking forward to having a bunch of my friends together at a pizza place or skating rink, not to mention tons of presents. Now that I'm an 'adult' (whatever that means ), I usually don't even think about it. Heck, I started training at a new job on my 19th birthday and made a mention of it, but that was about it.

[Andara Bledin]

On a side note: The Union people here have it in the contract, that they get their birthday off as a paid holiday..

When you consider that a lot of companies actually have a "floating" holiday that doesn't fall on a specific day, that's actually not a bad idea to just make that be the person's birthday. It actually makes it easier on HR, who can know that the employee will always be off on that day.

^-.-^

[AdminAssistant]

Fiance's job has a 'floating' holiday, and he's using it for his birthday. But, when you think about it, that holiday could also be handy for religious purposes. A Jewish person might prefer to use theirs for Yom Kippur, a Catholic might use it for Good Friday, a Pagan might use it for a solstice celebration, etc. Days that they cannot work but that workplaces don't close for. Or tack it onto an existing holiday. Take your 'floating' holiday the day after Thanksgiving and *boom* four day weekend! So I think maintaining a 'floating' holiday is a good thing, even if it does cause a bit more paperwork for HR.

[telecom_goddess]

I have worked on my birthday lots of times, and one year was really cool cause my boss gave me a great gift. And other years I haven't worked on my birthday cause I felt like taking it off just because. It doesn't matter either way to me.

[Peppergirl]

Thanks for the insight. Sounds like my emp was just being dramatic. Clearly most grown-ass adults don't become nearly hysterical at the thought of having to work their b-days.

[drunkenwildmage]

When you consider that a lot of companies actually have a "floating" holiday that doesn't fall on a specific day, that's actually not a bad idea to just make that be the person's birthday. It actually makes it easier on HR, who can know that the employee will always be off on that day.

^-.-^

We still have the "floating" holidays.. The way it works around here is, that we start with X number of holidays per year.. Any Holiday that DOESN'T fall on a weekday is deducted from that and we are giving holiday pay for it. Anything left over is considered a "Personal holiday" That we can use as we see fit. The Birthday "Holiday" is in addition of the above policy.

[Boozy]

Someone's birthday is not a freakin' national holiday. I don't know why they would think they'd get the day off.

I'll often book my birthday off, because it falls on January 2, so it gives me two days in a row. But if that's not a possibility, I don't care. I can eat cake on January 3, too.

[Peppergirl]

Someone's birthday is not a freakin' national holiday. I don't know why they would think they'd get the day off.

I'll often book my birthday off, because it falls on January 2, so it gives me two days in a row. But if that's not a possibility, I don't care. I can eat cake on January 3, too.

Yeah - you should have heard her whining and carrying on. It was crazy. I ended up letting her off because I'm too easy on them.

[ExRetailDrone]

Yeah - you should have heard her whining and carrying on. It was crazy. I ended up letting her off because I'm too easy on them I didn't want to listen to her bitch and moan the whole time.

Fixed that for you

[KellyHabersham]

I usually request my birthday off from the library job, but that's because I always have to work a closing shift, and back when we were open until 9 pm most days, this made it really hard to do anything.