Posties delivering presents, chefs cooking Christmas dinner, doctors treating patients, and many more – each year more than 23 million people in the UK work over the Yuletide season.
“The question is why do we find the thought of working at this time of the year so galling when it can be one of the most uplifting times to be at work?” says Jenny Hughes, a trainee doctor who worked last Christmas.
“[Last year on 25 December] I walked through the doors and immediately a porter with a Santa hat wished me a merry Christmas,” she says. “The nurses had tinsel in their hair and there was a copious amount of Quality Street on the desk. The ward was full of families who had transplanted their Christmas Day to hospital and every patient I spoke to thanked me for being there.”
Similarly Radio 1 DJ Greg James says he particularly enjoys working on Christmas Day. “I like being on radio at Christmas. Everyone is in a good mood and you can get away with a bit of mischief.”
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