Excuses to Skip Work

In Need of a Break

There are a number of reasons people find themselves looking for excuses to skip work. For example:

• They hate their jobs. Researchers have consistently found that people who miss work on a regular basis are generally those who are very unhappy with their jobs, but are unable to find other employment.
• They believe they deserve a break. Making phoney excuses to skip work is common among those who are regularly forced to work large amounts of overtime or undesirable night and weekend hours. Skipping work is their form of revenge.
• They work for companies that offer minimal personal leave. While some companies have very generous policies regarding paid time off, there are many people who must resort to fibbing whenever they need to miss work.

Common Reasons to Skip Work

Illness, family emergencies, and car trouble are the most common reasons employees claim to be missing work. While some of these excuses are legitimate, others are merely a cover for an otherwise unexplainable absence.

Illness

If you have an illness that is contagious, you should definitely stay home from work in order to avoid making your coworkers sick. Unfortunately, one recent survey found that this is the most common excuse people make for missing work. Of those who call in sick to work at the last minute, only 34 percent are actually ill. The rest just found illness to be a more convenient excuse than the real reason they weren't coming to work.

One potential drawback to claiming to be sick in order to miss work is that many companies require a doctor's note for these absences. Making a trip to the doctor when you're not really ill is obviously a waste of time and resources. However, companies such as Phoney Excuses will sell you a fake doctor's note to help cover up your absence from work. Of course, since this is extremely unethical, LoveToKnow Jobs does not recommend taking this approach.

Family Emergencies

There are many different types of family emergencies that may be used as reasons to miss work. Caring for a sick child, helping a family member with a personal crisis, visiting an elderly relative in the hospital, or attending a loved one's funeral are all fairly common work excuses. However, the successfulness of this approach will depend on the type of company you work for.

In industries where working parents are few and far between, you may be better off claiming to be sick when you are unable to get to work. And, if you decide to use a phoney funeral as your work excuse, make sure it's not someone who may actually pass away in the future. Your boss is unlikely to believe your grandfather passed away when you've already taken off twice to attend his funeral.

Car Trouble

If you live in an area without public transportation, car trouble is usually a fairly valid reason to skip work. If you live far away from your job and don't have any coworkers nearby, even something as simple as a flat tire may be enough to cause you to miss work.

Of course, you'll want to be careful when claiming to have car trouble. If you really do drive a vehicle that is prone to mechanical problems, don't use this excuse too often. You may find yourself with a very unsympathetic boss when your car really does break down as you're on your way to an important business meeting.

Creative Excuses to Skip Work

If you've exhausted all the common reasons for missing work, or you're simply looking for a laugh, check out some of the obscure work excuses found in the following articles:

• The Mother of All Excuses 400 Reasons to Skip Work
• 10 Best Excuses for Coming to Work Late
• 17 Excuses for Skipping Work
• Top 12 Reasons to Skip Work Today
• What's the Best Employee Excuse You've Ever Heard?: EmployerVault Question of the Week