In my job being it's retail we try and arrange the birthday off work if possible. I mean sure working can be fun but being off so you can get wasted is better. If the bosses feel nice we also might end up with the day after off <!-- to recover too. I'm kind of lucky, my birthday being this Sunday means I will be off work. However I am not "officially" celebrating mine (there are a, too many this weekend and b, I just spent £200+ on dental bills this month I need money first) until July 2nd. I've put in for a rota change so I can if possible get the 2nd itself off and told my boss I can work any Sunday next month except the 3rd because on the 3rd I will be a wreck guaranteed.
If you're working on your birthday then generally the bosses try and be nice to you and buy sweeties/cake. Also after work or during your lunch break it is known for the bosses to take you to the pub in this situation I like the idea of that but lunch break pub visits kinda suck as 1) they're an hour long only and 2) you have to drink something soft with the lunch they buy you, no alcohol during shift times, not even 1. If they let you drink they gotta open the floodgates and well most people can control themselves but there'd be at least one wanker who'd get drunk. -->