Target: Employee behind Black Friday petition not scheduled to work that day

Target says the employee leading an online petition drive protesting the retailer's midnight opening on Black Friday was never scheduled to work that day.

About 160,000 people have signed the petition. A Target employee in Omaha, Anthony Hardwick, started the petition, asking Target to push back its midnight opening to 5 a.m. on Black Friday.

Hardwick says a later opening would help "restore the sanctity of Thanksgiving" and give employees more time to spend with their families, instead of catching some shut-eye to prepare for work.

Hardwick has indicated he was scheduled to work at Target, starting at 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. But a Target spokeswoman said Hardwick is not now, and has never been, scheduled to work on Thanksgiving or Black Friday at Target.

Target said Hardwick said he was scheduled to work at another job on Black Friday and indicated he needed the day off from Target. Target said it honored that request. Hardwick could not be reached for comment.

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