Posted on 09/22/2010 8:50:39 AM PDT by MissTed
We've all been there. It's a beautiful day, and you can't bear the thought of going into work. 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. And it won't help your career any. Here are 10 excuses -- five smart and five not-so-smart -- to help you save face and your sanity.
Smart Excuses
* I've Earned It: No one can argue with performance. Come in two or three hours early -- or stay late -- for a week or two. Then negotiate a day off in advance. "Really work when you're there, so you'll be able to feel good about taking time off," says Andrea Nierenberg, president of The Nierenberg Group, a management consulting and personal marketing practice.
* I'm Playing Golf with a Client: For this one to work, you've got to have a job that requires you to meet and court current and prospective clients. Neil Simpkins, an account executive at Oxford Communications, has used this one successfully. One note of caution: Meet the client; don't just say you did.
* I Have a Doctor's Appointment: This excuse will get you out of work for a half-day or so. Make the appointment first thing in the morning or late in the day, say around 3 p.m. You can leave the office by 2:30 p.m. and get home (hopefully) by 4 p.m. The shortened day will help you recharge, especially if you schedule it on a Friday afternoon.
* I Have Cramps: Before you dismiss this one, think about it: Who can argue? "It's such an embarrassing topic that nobody will ever challenge it," says Jennifer Newman, vice president of Lippe Taylor Public Relations. She has used this excuse -- and had it used on her -- successfully. "It's one of those things that men honestly have no clue about, and women can sympathize with." One important point: Don't use this one if you're a man. It'll never work.
* I'm Working from Home: This is an excellent way to give yourself a break if your company allows it. Although you'll need to do some work, you can generally get away with a shortened day. And you'll eliminate your commuting time.
Not-So-Smart Excuses
* There's a Death in the Family: Don't ever use this excuse if it's not true. Your employer will lose all trust in you. "I had an employee whose mother died -- twice," says David Wear, a Virginia PR executive. "He also had the misfortune of losing all his grandparents -- 12 of them -- during a two-year period."
* I'm Too Sleepy: When she was a manager at IBM, Marilynn Mobley heard it all. This one still makes her laugh: The employee apparently took Tylenol 3 with codeine instead of a vitamin, because the bottles looked alike.
* I Can't Get My Car Out of the Garage: This is another one that Mobley didn't buy. An employee said that a power failure was preventing him from opening his power-operated garage door. "I reminded him that there's a pull chain on it for just such cases," she says.
* I Can't Find My Polling Place: Mary Dale Walters, a communications specialist at CCH, couldn't believe this one. A former employee needed an entire day to figure out where she had to go to vote in the presidential election.
* I Have a Personal Emergency: This one is so vague that it rarely works. It could mean anything from fatigue to an appointment with your hairdresser, and your boss knows it.
Don't lie, no matter which excuse you use. "I'm not a believer in playing hooky, because it always comes back to you," Nierenberg says. "Don't lie to your boss, your supervisor or your clients. You're guaranteed they will be the ones you'll run into while you're walking down the street in your jeans."
Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, ever argues with diarrhea
My work did. the boss asked how many bathrooms in my house?
then told me that we have alot more then that here, come on in.
I have an employee very much like the one you described.
Her marginal work ethic is reflected in her rate of
compensation. I’m not sure she even appreciates that, it’s
costing her a fortune.
I think my best excuses for missing work have.
My car caught on fire on the way to work. (1/2 day)
Freeway closed because of snow. (I worked in Palm Springs at the time.)
I actually could not get to work one time because of the garage door. The spring broke. No one was going anywhere.
Post anal drip must be a real problem,bet nobody asks to use his chair.
I had a girl call in last summer because she couldn’t find her car! She had gone to a big party on Saturday night and didn’t remember where she parked her car. The excuse didn’t fly with me and after a write-up and a long talk about priorities, she doesn’t call in anymore.
i’ve called in or left early and told my boss i was taking sick time because i was sick of work.
Or maybe he had a heart?
Been there, done that. When that spring goes the door isn't moving.
Then there was the day we had a strong storm roll through... some co-workers were trapped because the alleys and streets were full of downed trees and fences. I have about 8 ways to get out of the neighborhood... only one path was open.
Then tell him to set you up with a phone line and computer access within 20 feet of the bathroom like it is in your house. Otherwise, he might need to buy a new office chair for you. :-)
That was one of the best moments! I also liked when they were driving through the mall and he said ever so calmly something to the effect of the new Oldsmobiles being out early this year. I’m gonna have to buy that movie.
It could work if it takes a village to raise a child, but I don't think I'd want to live in THIS village.
-PJ
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