Top 15 Unusual Excuses For Not Showing Up To Work

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

29 Nov 2006 09:39 AM

Okay, confession time-how many times have you called in sick when you simply wanted to sleep in or run a few errands? Don't worry. You're in good company. Or, at least that's what a new survey by CareerBuilder.com found. The survey found 32% of workers have used sick days as "mental health days" to relax in just the last year. And, that's not all the survey also found that one in 10 admitted to doing so three times or more in the last year.

One in four workers said they consider their sick days to be equivalent to vacation days and treat them as such. According to the website, many employees get away with it, but using sick days as vacation days can get you in trouble if a colleague spots you. It can also get you in hot water if your excuse bombs with the boss.

According to the survey, 37% of women called in sick with bogus explanations compared to 26% of men.

So what were some of the most unusual excuses employees gave for missing work? Here are 15 of the most bizarre:

1. "I was poisoned by my mother-in-law."

2. "A buffalo escaped from the game reserve and kept charging me every time I tried to go to my car from my house."

3. "I was feeling all the symptoms of my pregnant wife."

4. (Calling from a cellphone) "I'm locked in a restroom stall and no one is around to let me out."

5. "I broke my leg snowboarding off my roof while drunk."

6. "My wife said I couldn't come into work because I had a lot of chores to do around the house."

7. "One of the walls in the my home fell off."

8. "My mom's in jail."

9. "A skunk got into the house and sprayed all of my uniforms."

10. "I have a bad case of the hiccups."

11. "I blew my nose so hard, my back went out."

12. "My horses got loose and are running down the highway."

13. "I got hit by a bus."

14. "My dog swallowed my bus pass."

15. "I'm sad."

What's your favorite excuse? Do you have any to add to the list?

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Nola Redd (7081) 29 Nov 2006 07:17 PM

Oh, that is hysterical! What a great list! Some of them are so bizarre they have to be true - like the snowboarding one and the one about the wall falling off the house. And if I were a betting woman, I'd bet that whoevers dog swallowed their bus pass probably had a problem with canine-consumed homework in school.

I'm a SAHM, but my mom frequently takes off of work because...who knows why? Not me. Sometimes she just doesn't want to go in. She works for a private company now (and they are getting irked), but she used to work for the state and had no problems. Ah, to work for the government!

Michele Cheplic (37339) 29 Nov 2006 08:06 PM

Nola YOU are hysterical! I think our moms are of the same breed! :) I agree with you about the snowboarding one. I wonder how many have used that one before. Thanks for the comment! BTW, my dad works for the government and NEVER calls in sick ;)