From wardrobe malfunctions and animal rescue missions to traffic problems and the unexplainable, we've compiled 28 of the most hilarious excuses for being late to work. Considering you overslept or took a day off without informing your boss, please withhold such reasons. This website uses cookies to improve your website experience and provide more personalized services to you, both on this website and through other media. On the contrary, you must be careful of what to say if you have no valid reason for your actions. An employee said “fighting deer” kept him up all night and he slept through his alarm. However, you should be careful not to “kill” a living person because that might come back to haunt you. I went to the gym before work and remembered to bring my shampoo, hair dryer and straightener, lunch, and a change of clothes. With dozens of responses, we concluded that many of you and your employees are really into rescuing animals. It was worth every minute of being late that day! She had to go to her hair stylist cut it out, but she didn’t have a car at the time, so she had to take the bus across town. Ah, the old days in East Austin. Someone I work with told me they couldn’t come into work one day because there was a fight in her street and the police had blocked it off. Handling these personal emergencies with compassion and understanding is the best thing you can do as a manager. As an employer, you've probably heard it all when it comes to excuses given for being late to work. However, if you have a condition like explosive diarrhea, you might not be able to make a call even if you wanted to. It was Tom, my upstairs neighbor’s cat, who had apparently been living in the crawl space between our apartments. There was a metal ladder spread across all four lanes of the road. When faced with a no call no show encounter, first acknowledge your mistake even before explaining what transpired. The feeling-ill excuse is a short-term solution that won't win you any fans at the office—someone else will have to pick up the slack, or you'll miss deadlines. Back when I was single, no kids, no responsibility, and apparently no concept of time, I somehow managed to miss daylight saving time and not notice until I showed up an hour late to work on Monday. I was late because I had to go desperation bra shopping. Whether we’re improving your business with new talent or improving your life with a better job, we do it with a dedication that goes above and beyond the best customer care. Here are some good excuses that you can […] So, how should you respond to your employer after the mistake? Are top job candidates sending you love notes? For example, if you went out the night before a workday and were robbed, the next thing is to report this to a police station or any relevant authority. While in the shower, I suddenly heard a loud crash followed by a blood-curdling “scream” and hiss echoing from the far end of my bathroom. © 2020 The HT Group. The Austin area scored the highest rate of population growth nationwide in data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. It stayed stuck for two hours while I drooled into a cup, all while teaching a class from the back of the room to avoid even more embarrassment. As an employee, there are times that you cannot report to work for one reason or another. It can affect future decisions in the company such as promotions, salary increase, and transfers. A stray dog barked outside our house all night. The situation can be trickier if your excuse for no show is one that you will not want to share meaning you do not want to call in at work. Could you use some help turning your situation around? So you call in with some excuse about feeling ill, but you know in your bones that your boss doesn't buy it. The feeling-ill excuse is a short-term solution that won't win you any fans at the office—someone else will have to pick up the slack, or you'll miss deadlines. While driving to work, I noticed several police officers chase a naked man into someone’s front yard (in the middle of winter in Fargo, N.D.)! Maybe the problem has more to do with your job than with your penchant for excuses. He said he was late because he hit a nutria with his car. I was super organized. He responded with one of the best lines I have ever heard. All Rights Reserved. (What’s a nutria you ask? Any time a worker doesn’t report to work; fellow workers must take up the roles. Your manager will be angrier and might take a stiffer penalty.