The eight unexpected joys of working on Christmas Day have been revealed – and they’re not all about the money.
A poll of 1,000 adults who’ve done a shift on December 25th saw the lack of pressure to have a perfect Christmas Day and not having to travel long distances rank highly among these perks.
More than a quarter (27 percent) also value not having to worry about cooking their festive dinner or cleaning up afterwards (19 percent).
Others cherish the peace, which comes from commuting on quieter roads (37 percent) and having some space from navigating family dynamics (15 percent).
But for 37 percent, the main draw is the chance to make Christmas special for someone else, while 25 percent enjoy giving back to their community.
For example, among healthcare workers, 45 percent cherish helping to make the day feel meaningful for those who can’t enjoy it with their loved ones.
The research was commissioned by Greene King, whose second annual Big Christmas Shift offers Christmas Day workers a free meal from 2nd to 5th December; they have until 16th November to sign up or to be nominated by loved ones.
Carried out through OnePoll, the research found that while they have worked a total of six shifts to date on average, the typical festive worker is now on their fourth Christmas in a row, with 21 percent having done 10 or more shifts during their career.
The findings follow a separate study by ONS which found 1.2 million people worked on Christmas Day in 2025, up from 1.1 million in 2018.
This latest study, however, identified the moments which stand out to those working in care or medical sectors specifically – these include comforting someone struggling and helping those who might otherwise have spent Christmas alone.
Others have helped people take part in a Christmas tradition (16 percent) or connect with their family (20 percent) on the day.
Among all workers polled, 30 percent cited how special it was to witness someone’s mood improve because of something they did or receiving an unexpected thank you (27 percent).
Many have even received a card (28 percent), gift (25 percent) or edible token of thanks (33 percent) on December 25th.
To make it possible for them to give back to their community on Christmas Day, the data also revealed how shift workers adapt their own celebrations to make it happen.
While some reschedule the entire day to spend fully with their family, either before (25 percent) or after (eight percent) the 25th, 79 percent have instead opted to set aside a few key traditions.
Such as having their Christmas dinner (45 percent), seeing extended family (37 percent), opening presents (31 percent), or going for a festive walk (18 percent).
Andrew Gallagher from Greene King, which has produced a video [https://youtu.be/scwNjvQgrlc] celebrating those who work behind the scenes and make Christmas happen, said: “Behind so many special moments that the rest of us enjoy, there are people giving up time with their loved ones to make Christmas special for somebody else.
“So, this year, we are giving Santa a little less of the credit and putting the spotlight on Britain’s real Christmas shift workers.
“Offering 30,000 free meals is our way of saying thank you to every person behind the scenes and giving them a chance to enjoy some well-earned festive cheer of their own.”
THE EIGHT UNEXPECTED PERKS OF WORKING CHRISTMAS:
- Quieter roads/commute
- Not having to worry about cooking Christmas dinner
- Having another day off instead
- Less pressure to have the “perfect” Christmas
- Celebrating Christmas on my own terms
- Escaping the Christmas Day clean-up
- Not having to travel long distances to see relatives
- Navigating family dynamics
