For many Christmas means some time off work to spend with friends and family, at home, with relatives or even away on holiday.
However, many Prospect members will find themselves at work this festive season working the unsociable hours they do throughout the year to keep important, but often hidden, services running.
In the electricity supply and nuclear sectors our members will be making sure that the UK grid has the power it needs to supply millions of ovens being switched on at once on Christmas Day.
Elinor Harrison, Chair of the Prospect Young Professionals Network and a Shift Operations engineer in a nuclear power station, said:
“We need electricity all of the time. Making sure that it continues to be generated and supplied safely at all times can put big demands on the people working in the sector.
“We’re proud of our work though, and it is satisfying to know that we are part of the team keeping Britain going.”
Members will also be at work in museums, galleries and National Trust sites across the country as they welcome thousands of visitors, in particular families taking part in activities over the school holidays.
And whether we get a white Christmas or not Prospect members at the Met Office continue to analyse and predict the weather.
UK airspace and our airports don’t close for a single day over the festive period, so many of our members in aviation will be at work.
Paul Upton, Vice Chair of Prospect’s Air Traffic Control Officers’ branch, said:
“Britain’s air traffic controllers will be hard at work right over the festive period, getting people away on holiday and to visit their families.
“Just like the rest of the rest of the year we will be doing it as safely and efficiently as we possibly can.”
It’s not just in the air either, Prospect members in the Highways Agency will be monitoring and managing the big Christmas get away.
Our football referees don't get a quiet time either, traveling across the country on Boxing Day to officiate matches up and down the leagues.
Many Prospect members who can be at home at Christmas can still be on call, our members in the Environment Agency and in electricity supply are just some of staff who will drop things at a moment’s notice to deal with problems like with adverse weather.
These are just a few of the areas where Prospect members will be at work this festive season.
So, if you are at home this Christmas raise a glass for Prospect’s hidden heroes who are making it possible.