MORE than a fifth (21%) of UK tradespeople will be working on Christmas Day this year due to the cost of living crisis, new research has claimed.
The study, by IronmongeryDirect, asked workers from across the UK about their festive plans and almost a third (31%) said that they are taking less time off this Christmas compared to previous years.
Further to this, almost two in five (39%) said that they will have to work on at least one of the bank holidays out of Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Day. It comes as one in five (19%) tradespeople said they are unable to afford as many days off as they used to.
Age is also a factor, as younger workers are far more likely to work all the way through the festive season. More than a third of millennial (35%, 25-34s) tradespeople say they’ll be doing jobs on Christmas Day, just ahead of Gen Z (30%, 18-24s).
On average, tradespeople say they’re planning on taking five days off this December. However, they’re unlikely to be able to fully relax, as one in six (17%) say that their friends and family have already got jobs lined up for them to do around the house.
The UK tradespeople most likely to be working on Christmas Day are, according to IronmongeryDirect’s findings:
| # | Trade | % |
| 1 | Carpenter | 29% |
| 2 | Electrician | 25% |
| 3 | Building Surveyor | 25% |
| 4 | Roofer | 25% |
| 5 | Joiner | 24% |
| 6 | Plasterer | 24% |
| 7 | Builder | 22% |
| 8 | Window Fabricator | 21% |
| 9 | Plumber | 21% |
| 10 | Landscaper | 21% |
| 11 | Painter Decorator | 12% |
| 12 | Bricklayer | 12% |
Dominick Sandford, MD at IronmongeryDirect, said, “It’s been an incredibly tough couple of years for tradespeople, and the cost of living crisis is yet another challenge facing the industry and its workforce.
“Sadly then, it’s perhaps unsurprising that so many feel unable to take much time off this Christmas, but it’s important that after such a relentless 2022, tradespeople get the break they deserve. Wherever possible, we would urge workers to push jobs back slightly and take the time to rest and be with their loved ones.”
IronmongeryDirect brought on board Liz Sebag-Montefiore, director and co-founder of HR consultancy 10Eighty, to provide tradespeople with advice on being asked to work on Christmas Day. To read the piece, click here.
