4 Dec 2020
In her 2020 Christmas message, Jane Davidson takes a moment to discuss one of the most important topics to face the profession at this time of year – how to divvy up the Christmas treat pile.
Jane Davidson
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I’m going back a little in my memory to write this blog, but as we have mixed up teams and rotas so much this extraordinary year, I think this is probably a good time to share this memory.
It invokes a little debate about perks for full-time and part-time staff and came courtesy of a friend, although I do know all the people involved.
My friend worked in a small clinic with a few full-time and a single part-time member of staff. The usual Christmas pile of chocolates and boxes of biscuits was starting to build up and my friend (being the sensible type) said: “Instead of snacking randomly on them, let’s save them up and divide them up on Christmas Eve.”
They were all working on Christmas Eve, so they could choose to share the chocolate in the clinic and take some home, particularly as the pile was getting quite large.
So far so normal. It sounds like what happens in a number of clinics I’ve worked in – enjoying the chocolates in a sensible way so you don’t spend December getting your “five a day” from fruit-flavoured Cadbury’s Roses.
Her decisions seem to go down well apart from with one member of staff. What could this person have had an issue with? You may well ask, and the answer may surprise you…
The issue was the intention to split the chocolate equally among all members of staff, including the one part-time person. If they were only part-time, why would they get a full share of the Christmas chocolates, it was queried.
Personally, I didn’t feel this was really in the true spirit of Christmas. This year, when so many of us have been divided into teams different to your usual set up, or have been working reduced hours for very legitimate safety reasons, then I hope that this kind of Christmas spirit has died away (not literally as in the person dying, but the attitude that your worth in a team is defined by the amount of hours you work should now be dead).
This Christmas, every single member of the team has given more than usual since March.
Those shielding have complied to help with their health and the health of others; those furloughed have provided emotional support and worked to keep themselves feeling healthy and well; and those brilliant people who have been in clinic, consulting in car parks and helping pet owners in the most challenging of circumstances, all deserve to share the chocolate – both literally and metaphorically.
It’s not the hours you put in, it’s what you put into those hours (probably a good Facebook meme).
Happy Christmas, everyone. Whatever you do, wherever you do it… enjoy!
