In this article, we will share with you the best reasons to leave work early. We will also discuss the best productivity tips so that you can organize your time better and finish early every day!
The best reasons to leave work early
Here is a list of the best reasons to leave work early and what to say to your boss:
- I have an appointment with the doctor, the typical excuse.
The excuse for the doctor’s appointment is a classic. But how could your boss refuse to let you go for treatment? Especially since he doesn’t want you to infect everyone with this nasty flu at all. Okay, you don’t have the flu, so what? At least you can leave earlier.
- My kid is sick! an excuse for the faint of heart.
Come on, the sick kid’s shot again, sniffling and coughing. Well yes, you have to go get him from school, the poor thing. Especially since no one is available except you. And then he is still small. Your colleagues are almost crying, your boss is moved, you have won.
- Water damage at home.
Classic excuse but one that works again and again! Your neighbour has just called you in an emergency because of water damage in your apartment. It’s time to go home before the flood.
- My car is broken, the garage will close soon.
Well, this excuse works quite well most of the time. Somebody dropped you off at work this morning, but you have to pick up your car from the garage. Bad luck, it will close in a little while. So you must leave now! Not bad isn’t it?
- An urgent bill to settle, always the right excuse
You have an electricity, water and gas bill pending payment. This is the last day before sanction! You absolutely must send your checks to the Post Office before it closes and you are cut off. Come on, here we go. A slightly crude excuse but it goes!
Other excuses to leave work early and more tips
Look, let’s fight silly and mean presenteeism, and preserve our privacy by looking for the best reasons to run away from the office before 7:00 p.m.
Know how to present your request! There are those who leave discreetly, hoping that everyone will believe them on a date. But office managers are always the first to be absent (perhaps because no one can live without them …). It is, therefore, better to ask for permission, with the following forms:
- Word it as a demand and not a fact. The more you make your boss believe that he is the one giving you this favour, the better it will work.
- Specify where you are with your tasks and how your missions will be carried out in your absence.
- Emphasize how relevant your departure is: “I prefer to go to the dentist as long as it’s calm here, to be well present when the rush is“.
- Pick a quiet time, where everyone is relaxed, to talk about it.
- Make an unbeatable excuse.
More reasons to leave work early:
- The real reason: It’s too good outside to stay locked in this hole.
The right excuse: I organize a soccer tournament with children with learning difficulties.
- The real reason: The last episode of GoT has just been released, I can’t stand it anymore.
The right excuse: My religion forces me to go home before sunset (stay vague).
- The real reason: I need to shave before my date tonight.
The right excuse: I have an important meeting at the bank.
- The real reason: My colleagues annoy me too much today.
The right excuse: I signed up for HR training on team building.
- The real reason: I think I have better things to do in life than work.
The right excuse: I just got a personal phone call.
- The real reason: I’ve had a hangover since this morning.
The right excuse: I need to isolate myself to think about group strategy.
- The real reason: I have a job interview elsewhere.
The right excuse: I am participating in a conference to develop our networking strategies.
- The real reason: I’m too hungry.
The right excuse: My child is sick (thinking about having a child).
- The real reason: I have my period and it hurts.
The right excuse: I have a really bad headache and can’t concentrate.
Tips for productivity: how to leave work earlier?
Tired of extending your days at work? Want to get home early without really knowing how to go about it. If your problem is with a workload that you can’t finish at the end of the day, then you need to learn to organize your work.
In addition to improving your efficiency and productivity, it will also allow you to complete your goals quickly so you can get home early. In addition to maximizing efficiency at work, you will need to manage your time and educate your hierarchy before you can achieve this.
Knowing how to manage your time and finish work earlier
To leave work earlier, the first method is certainly no longer a secret: you must learn to manage your time, especially when carrying out tasks.
The trick to know: prioritize tasks. Systematically start the day with the most laborious to the easiest tasks to complete important tasks early in the day.
To make your life even easier, you can even make a list of the 3 priority tasks to be done the day before. Here are a few tips to help you prioritize your tasks effectively: organize your day the next day, make a list of the 3 priority tasks the day before you arrive and also tidy up your office the day before (files, business, sorting documents in a computer, etc.).
To finish tasks on time, it is also advisable to create routines that will improve your productivity and efficiency. Note that when it comes to work, everything can be caught up, whether it is an urgent project, money, recruitment or whatever, on the other hand, time cannot be.
You will therefore need to learn to avoid wasting time by learning to say no to unnecessary meetings or uninteresting outings. Indeed, these events tend to ruin the routines and consequently to ruin the productivity gains that you have already put in place. Ideally, assign the tasks that you are not able to handle to someone more competent.
Finally, two other methods are also to know to optimize your working time, namely:
Apply the 2-minute rule (anything that takes less than 2 minutes should be done immediately)
Give yourself deadlines to get an idea of the time available and the working time required to complete a file
How to improve productivity?
When it comes to optimizing your productivity, we usually talk about the tips to know to have a good organization and an excellent methodology. From this perspective, it is not only a matter of having good working time management but also of getting in good condition to better perform your tasks.
The advice to know: favour a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, having balanced and healthy nutrition, quality nights of sleep or regular physical activity will certainly help you be more efficient. But why? Quite simply because with a healthy body and a healthy mind, you will be in great shape to tackle your daily tasks.
Many coaches also recommend organizing your schedule according to your pace of work. The idea is to split the tasks into different periods that you set yourself:
- Hardwork: when you’re most productive for tough tasks
- Check mail and social networks before leaving for lunch, once in the afternoon and before returning home
- Software for less important tasks after lunch
It’s up to you to find the model that best suits your hours of productivity and your habits. Taking breaks during your work time will not only allow you to get some fresh air and stretch your legs but also better focus on your work afterwards. So remember to ventilate your head at least every 2 hours. This tip will undoubtedly promote your concentration.
Find your own methods to be more efficient
So the idea of getting home early is to reach your goals early and finish your work on time. When it comes to organization and efficiency, you must understand that finding your own methods is essential since you have your specific habits. Either way, there are a number of tips that can help you find the perfect way to work.
First, it’s best to organize activities to do after work. This will require you to leave the office on time, or even earlier if necessary. So think about activities such as sport (indoors or in a group), aperitifs, cultural outings …
In order not to be the only productive one, especially if you are a manager, consider sharing your methodology with colleagues. Knowledge transfer is a tool that benefits both others and you. So you can improve their productivity and yours at the same time.
Also, avoid making to-do lists or using software and other applications to help you improve. Only motivation and simplicity can earn you points when it comes to optimizing productivity.
Final thoughts and tips
Remember to avoid any distractions to stay focused on your work. This is also why it is advisable to disconnect chat platforms such as Skype or Messenger to avoid being disturbed by colleagues.
The same goes for emails that can arrive every 10 minutes. Remember to delete the email alerts and reserve 3 times of the day for the consultation of the inbox.
In addition, delete email alerts and other notifications to avoid responding to all requests, often new emails arrive every 10 minutes so avoid looking at them all the time or notifying them so as not to be cut every 10 minutes (see your emails only 3 times…).
The last point to note, it is advisable to prefer efficiency over presenteeism. It is indeed better to finish work quickly (thanks to the good organization) and concentrate your energy on it than to stay late at the office to show motivation in the eyes of superiors.
Do you have any valid reasons to leave work early or tips on work productivity? Do not hesitate to contact us!
FAQ on Best reasons to leave work early
How do I ask my boss to leave early?
When asking your boss to leave early, be polite and respectful, and communicate effectively, give a valid reason and as many details as possible why you need to leave early.
Why is it important to leave early for work?
It is important to leave early for work because you never know what may happen. Traffic, small accidents, weather conditions are all valid reasons to leave earlier.
What is the best reason to take leave?
The best reason to take leave is personal or family emergencies, getting sick, work-related stress.
Can I get fired for leaving work early?
You can get fired for leaving work early if you didn’t give notice or requested it from your boss, especially if it states in the contract that an employee may not leave earlier.
References
Indeed.com
Zapier.com
Avvo.com
