The Holiday Shift Divide: Singlism and the Fairness Gap in Holiday Scheduling

A HuffPost explainer on the worst assumptions people make about their single colleagues during the holidays notes that in industries with heavy holiday demand, workers who are single or childfree are often asked to cover major holiday shifts. Sophie, a hospital social worker, described a pattern that followed her from retail and gig work: managers assumed she didn’t need holiday time because she didn’t have a family. 'Well, I don’t have a family, I don’t need to be home for [insert holiday here],' she said, adding, 'I don’t have a family?!' The episode illustrates how bias can shape scheduling decisions even when the claim is subtle.

Social scientists call this phenomenon singlism: the stigmatizing of people who are single. Bella DePaulo has argued that single people are often stereotyped as having less of a life outside work, a view she says is entirely false. 'Single people have people who matter to them, commitments and interests and passions that matter to them,' DePaulo told HuffPost in past interviews. 'The workplace should be about work. Everything should even out — how often you get to leave early, come in on the holidays, get your choice of vacation times, etc.'

Readers shared their own stories. In college development, Emily said she was always the one who sacrificed time with family and loved ones: 'It wasn’t even a question,' she said, and it damaged relationships. In the military, Patricia said not being married was the reason she was assigned long deployments during holidays: 'Doesn’t my kid count as family? ... I loved my job and the perks of business and pleasure. But sometimes, you just hate it and ask, ‘Why me? Again?’'

There’s a fairer way to assign holiday shifts, though there is no single solution. Some organizations base schedules on seniority, but that can still skew toward those with families. 'Seniority usually means it will favor people who have families, who are going to be older,' said Mary Abbajay, president of Careerstone Group. She has observed that single, childfree workers can be pushed into holiday coverage in health care and retail when the system relies on tenure alone. 'Maybe make an equation out of it. Seniority gets you one point; you lose a point if you took it off last year. Something that automatically doesn’t give it to the people who have been there the longest or who have the kids. Maybe you have a lottery for some people,' Abbajay said. 'The bottom line is get creative about how you could make this feel more fair and inclusive.'

Experts also recommend rewarding those who work holidays, not just forcing the shift rotation. Extra pay, small gifts, or extra paid time off can help employees feel valued. 'You want your people always to feel valued and appreciated, especially if they have to work the holidays,' Abbajay said. For Sophie, the starting point is to put holiday shifts up for grabs: 'Because there are definitely folks who prefer to work those shifts for a variety of reasons.' Then, she added, remaining gaps can be filled by looking at who worked in prior years and rotating or drawing from a hat.

Finally, employees who consistently face holiday shifts can advocate by framing the discussion as a request rather than a complaint and by submitting requests early. Abbajay noted that 'it’s hard to say no when you’re early.'

Sophie’s own perception changed over time. She recalled volunteering for major holidays for years, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve and Day, often due to COVID policies. 'Now, this year when I was asked to work those same holidays, I smiled and said I had already put in my time and that this year I was taking all of them off,' she said. Her older colleagues who were retired and those with adult children helped her realize that time off should be available to every employee, regardless of marital or parental status. The conversation around holiday scheduling reflects broader questions about workplace culture and fairness, especially as societies navigate balance between essential services and personal time during festive periods.

As the holidays approach, advocates hope employers will design schedules that recognize different family and living arrangements and ensure that every employee has a fair chance to rest and celebrate.