having or not having children

[lillylemon]

I am 27 and do not have children but a couple of my collegues do have small children, one of which has had time off sick and now has no-one to look after her children on Christmas eve as her other half is working. I would gladly offer to work for her but another collegue who has grown up children has told me on a number of occasions (when the collegegue was off sick) that I have work because I have no resposibilities.
So my question is - can I be made to work (at any time not just christmas) because I don't have children?

[brenda]

Certainly not.
You are required to work the hours , and times as stipulated in your contract of employment.
You are under no obligation to under take the work programme of someone else, and if you were to do so that would be aranged by mutual agreement between you and your boss. It would not be arranged by another colleague on the grounds that you have no children.
If your other colleague has grown up children what is to stop her from doing the work if the boss were to ask?
Do not allow yourself to be manipulated by this other person,and do not even conmsider that your choice of life style makes working for another colleague an oblgation that you must fulfill.
To protect yourself further --join a union -- helpful for advice and support.

[Androcles]

MAny people could do with flexible working, and nit jsut because of Children - older parents, siblings, or just because they have something else they need to do - Athletes and sports people needing to get to a match etc, so as Brenda rightly says, don't get manipulated. It is your boss's problem to arrange manning levels, and if you say no, mean it! It isn't your fault if somebody else decides to take time off for personal reasons.

[Androcles]

Sorry, dislexic fingers that should be "not just"

[lillylemon]

Thanks, I am sticking to my guns and not working It's just the comments that were made to me wound me up and just wanted to know where I stood