In this blog post, we will share 19 good excuses for missing work and not calling. We will also give you advice on how to proceed if you want to take sick leave or casual leave from work.
Good excuses for missing work and not calling
These are good excuses for missing work and not calling:
- Family emergency.
- An acquaintance has passed away.
- A relative has passed away.
- Your children are sick and you had to rush to the ED.
- Your pet is sick and you had to go to the Vets ED.
- Your pet/child is sick (without having a pet/child).
- You are so sick, you can’t talk.
- You had an emergency appointment with a doctor/dentist.
- You missed the train/flight/bus and your phone had no battery.
- You had a problem with the pipes/electricity in your house which overwhelmed you.
- Your partner had an accident.
- You had to go to trial.
- You had a fire in your apartment.
- You had to go to a wedding and thought you mentioned that.
- You had to do quarterly paperwork as a freelancer and turned your phone off to be able to concentrate.
- Your flat-mate took your bag (with your phone and keys) and left the house for a few hours.
- You were assaulted on the street.
- You have been in an accident.
- You lost your wallet, keys and phone.
These are the most used excuses for not going to work
It seems inevitable that, at some point in the year, we all need some business of our own. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an inalienable right contained in the Workers’ Statute, but this possibility is contemplated in most Conventions.
In fact, even in those cases in which there are no legal days off that do not need justification, it is logical to think that a company can use the left hand in certain situations. But it is not worth calling work with any excuse, it has to be important enough to justify your absence, but not so much that it makes all your colleagues worry.
That is, if you do not have days of your own business by agreement, you need to combine inventiveness with credibility and, in addition, certain recommendations of the ‘experts’ on the subject must be taken into account: Mondays and Fridays are the less appropriate days to want to stay at home because they are too ‘chaotic’.
Throughout the day, it is better not to upload photos to social networks, the more discreet, the better; If you are going to leave home, it is better not to go where you think there are chances of meeting people from work.
Also, it is not a bad idea to reply to an email during the morning so that it seems that you feel bad about not being able to go to work. Having said that, these are the most used excuses to take a day off just because, because you’ve ‘earned’ it.
- Good excuses for missing work: illness or injury
“Last night I had Chinese food for dinner and I’ve been in the bathroom all night” or “I’ve gotten up with a high fever, I’m staying in bed and I’m sure I’ll be better tomorrow” are some of the most helpful.
In fact, in the current pandemic situation, it is really advisable that you stay home if you have a fever (and your boss will let you know in 99% of the cases). It depends on you whether morally it is not a moral problem to use this excuse when there are really serious cases of Covid-19 around the world.
- Good excuses for missing work: bad luck
“They have tried to rob me at home and have broken the lock. The insurance locksmith has said that it will take all day” or “my garage door has been locked half open and I have to wait for them to come to fix it” are some of the most popular excuses.
A breakdown of the car or an unprecedented snowfall are some alternatives. Your boss may wonder how it is possible that the roads in your area have been blocked if four flakes have fallen in the office … In any case, with the rise of teleworking, these excuses are no longer as effective as before, because you can probably continue working from home while you wait for the problem to be fixed.
- Good excuses for missing work: blaming someone else
“My uncle/mother/grandfather/very close relative has died.” Or, something less harsh: “A close relative from another state/city is sick and I have to take my mother to take care of him.” These are some of the most used excuses.
The problem is that even experts in faking the death of a family member can make the mistake of ‘killing’ and ‘resurrecting’ their grandmother several times over the course of a year. For this reason, they recommend other less cumbersome excuses such as “my son is sick” or “my son has given me lice.”
Although there are always those who cannot avoid giving a bit of spectacularity to the matter with excuses such as “my neighbour’s pipe has exploded and my house has flooded, I have already called the technician and he will arrive throughout the morning.“
- Good excuses for missing work: blaming your pet
“My cat has died and I don’t know what to do, I have to go to the vet” or “my dog has spent the night ill and I have to take him to the vet” are also some of the most used excuses.
The advantage of blaming your pet is that your cat or dog will never berate you. However, these days not all companies are sympathetic to pet issues – your boss may not take it as seriously as a human and the excuse will have no effect.
In addition, with teleworking, it is likely that they will grant you free time, but that they will require you to continue working from home after going to the vet. After all, there are currently no permits for the illness or death of an animal.
You don’t have to call, but send a sick email to work
Let’s say you dread the call to work to let them know you are not coming in today. Well, a solution is to write an email! If writing a sick day email, which we always recommend, it should include the following points:
Reason for your absence. Keep this part clear without going into too much detail. Write down the specific illness and main symptoms that are preventing you from getting to the office. You don’t have to list everything.
How long you will be absent from work. This is predictable for many illnesses, like the flu or a cold, where the worst is over in a day or two. If you are not sure when you will be back, ask your doctor how much you could possibly recover.
Address your availability to communicate. Inform your boss if you can answer questions by email. You can also include an emergency phone number in case they need to reach you. If you are too sick to reply to emails, be honest and clarify that you will be unreachable during your absence.
Clarify whether you will work or not. This applies to telecommuting, remote, or high-level employees expected to continue working while on leave. Your supervisor may allow you to work if you are contagious, but not too bad for complete rest.
Doctor’s note and other documentation. Citation to any doctor’s note, prescription, or medical certificate that you can provide to the back of your request for sick leave.
Name of the person who can take up your workload. Mention that you will have about your projects and meetings, so your manager will know what to approach questions about your tasks. You can simply write, “John will take my client meetings this afternoon, and he is also up to date on my projects with Client X”.
Professional closing. End your email of the day with a simple closing and your name.
You can also email your team an abbreviated version of this email that does not include details of your medical condition and doctor.
Final tips
- Don’t be constantly missing work – In the end, no one will believe your excuses. Both your superiors and your colleagues will end up getting angry with you. Do not forget that a high percentage of absenteeism could be cause for dismissal.
- Notify first thing in the morning. Don’t give too much detail. Lies have very short legs. A liar is caught sooner than you may think.
- Write down all the excuses you give for not repeating them. Remember them. After three months someone may ask you if you are better after the death of your dog or if there is already a sentence in the process in which they cite you as a witness.
- Be discreet. When you are absent, do not rush to write on social networks that you are at home watching Netflix.
- Don’t go to the pool or the beach. The tan is very poorly concealed. Also, you may meet someone from the office down the street and then what?
- Watch your diet when you return to work. If you said you had food poisoning or any other stomach illness, watch your diet when you return to work. This way you will not raise suspicions among your colleagues or in HR.
- If you miss a Monday or Friday, it is usually bad. It will be very noticeable that you wanted to extend the weekend. It is better to fall ill on a Wednesday or Thursday and prolong it with Friday.
Do you have any good excuses for missing work and not calling? Don’t hesitate to share them with us!
FAQ on Good excuses for missing work and not calling
What’s the best excuse to miss work?
Among the best excuses to miss work are:
- You have a contagious illness;
- Food poisoning;
- Family emergency;
- Medical appointments;
- Vehicle or transport issues;
- Death in the family;
- Your pet is lost or you need to take it to the vet.
How do you call in sick to work professionally?
If you have to call in sick to work, to do it professionally keep it as brief as possible and call as soon as you can. Let your team know that you will be missing work and make arrangements who can take over your workload. Mention the period you will be missing and when are you planning on coming back.
What is the best excuse to call in sick?
The best excuses to call in sick are:
- You have the flu or other contagious illness.
- You hurt your back, ankle or knee.
- You have been hospitalized.
- The emergency doctor or dentist’s appointment.
- You are depressed, stressed or anxious.
How do I take leave for personal reasons?
To take leave for personal reasons you have to ring your employer or talk with HR and let them know how much time you need and when you plan to return to work. Some employers offer a certain number of days for personal leave per year. Avail of those if included in the contract!
References
Indeed.com
workplacefairness.org
