At the units I worked at with one notable exception the Christmas leave allocation was worked out very amicably and was certainly nothing to do with working the system. Basically you could either have Christmas off or New Year off and contrary to what has been said before it wasn't only the "Jocks" who wanted the New Year off. I've been retired for a few years now and maybe I was just lucky to have worked with "grown up" people who bought in to the idea of give and take. Incidentally HD I knew band five units got paid wheelbarrow loads of dosh more than we lesser mortals but all those fortnights off? the most I could work out on a 5 watch came to 7. Work life balance, brilliant job, can't imagine doing anything else.
