It’s Black Friday and I’m working. It’s not that I have to work — I’m self-employed and can choose my own schedule — it’s that I find this a great day to get things done. Now, to be fair, I’m an American in Switzerland so it’s a regular day (as was Thanksgiving) here. But almost all my HR clients are in the U.S., so they aren’t working. My son has work, and my daughter is recovering from a Thanksgiving Day wisdom tooth extraction, so it’s not like we were having a big family shopping trip or anything like that.
But if we weren’t traveling over Thanksgiving, I’ve always opted to work on Black Friday, and save my vacation time for other days — even when I worked corporate. Here are five reasons why working on a day when most white collar workers are eating leftovers and grabbing deals. (Granted, if you work in retail, getting this day off is super hard to do!)
Here is why:
- Communications slow down. No dings from Slack. A few emails here and there. It’s mostly quiet. As someone who is easily distracted, having a day with fewer distractions to get things done is a blessing.
To keep reading, click here: 5 Reasons Black Friday Is One of My Most Productive Days of the Year
I, too, am working on Black Friday. When my wife asked me why I reminded her I am not salaried (I was salaried when I worked in corrections which had me working every kind of rotation imaginable, including many times working all major and minor holidays) so if I don’t work I don’t get paid. And if I don’t get paid she would have to trim back her Black Friday shopping.
I also like the quieter atmosphere where almost everybody else in administration is taking the day off, our vet clinic is closed, and drama is at a low…no verbal warnings, written warnings, no PIPs to write. Ahhhhh…a great day to work.
Your Reason #1 is also why it’s a great day NOT to work – so much easier to really disconnect and recharge when people aren’t around with “just one quick question…”
I know, it’s a luxury not everyone enjoys, but I really appreciated being able to put the phone down (and let my in-laws make me crazy instead).
Hope the De-toothed One is feeling better 🙂
Absolutely, I hear you loud and clear! You have the same reason I do for wanting to work on Black Friday. It is the only time I actually get to work in an environment with so little distraction. When my teammates are out shopping, I can work in my own office, which gives me time to complete my day’s tasks.
I wish I could have the same type of productivity that comes from working at a busy time of year. I wish I could work during holidays, when most employees have an off day. I often wish I could turn off my emails so that my managers don’t send emails to check on projects during my days off.
I hope your daughter enjoyed her Thanksgiving and that all of your colleagues had a productive and stress-free work experience after Thanksgiving!