Target workers push back on midnight Black Friday clock in rules

Frontline Target employees used a Reddit thread on November 26 to share screenshots and experiences of store policies for midnight and early morning Black Friday shifts, revealing how some locations tried to prevent early clock ins by listing start times as 12:05 AM or 12:05. Team members posted images of schedules with those precise start times, and other posters described discussions about whether leaders required staff to be inside the building before midnight or whether employees were being told to refuse midnight shifts.

The posts exposed practical concerns that arise when stores open at the busiest hour of the year. Workers pointed to crowding at timeclocks when large numbers of employees attempted to clock in at the same moment, and questioned the fairness of staggered or slightly delayed start times when customer lines often formed well before the official opening. Several participants said they were choosing to opt out of midnight shifts, citing the strain of late hours and the difficulty of commuting or arranging child care around an off hour start.

These exchanges underscored tensions between operational needs and worker experience. Scheduling start times a few minutes after midnight appeared to be a tactic to control early punch ins and manage labor costs, but it also created confusion about when employees should arrive and added pressure to supervisors tasked with enforcing rules. The disparity in how different stores implemented guidance created uneven expectations for team members across locations, contributing to perceptions of unfairness among employees asked to work the highest traffic hours without clear, consistent protocols.

For workers, the dispute matters because it touches on safety, predictable scheduling, and compensation for inconvenient hours. For managers and corporate planners, the posts highlight logistical friction points that can slow store openings and affect customer flow at a critical sales period. The thread offered a raw frontline perspective on holiday scheduling, showing how a routine operational decision can ripple through staffing, morale, and store operations during Black Friday.