Black Friday for many of us means shopping, great deals, family, turkey sandwiches and an extra day off work. But for many hourly employees Black Friday is a work day. If you’re scheduled to work (you normally work every Friday), but you really have difficulty managing crowds and need the day off, what do you do? You could approach management and request the day off, but what if the answer is NO? Try working something out with a co worker. If you have a strong relationship, and are willing to give back (I’ll work Christmas Eve for you), you might get Black Friday off. These schedule switches really come in handy and management will usually approve if it doesn’t cost them anything. But the key is a sturdy relationship with your co workers. Be willing to help, and the help will be returned. You may just escape the crowds on Black Friday.