Lame excuses for staying home

It’s a beautiful day, and as you hustle into work, you are dreading every moment. Who wouldn’t rather be outside enjoying the day? You contemplated a million times calling in sick or saying you had an emergency-but you didn’t. Then, when you get to the office, hardly anyone is there. A coworker informs you that five of the ten people in your office called in sick or “had emergencies” in the last twenty-four hours. “Can you believe that?” she asks. No, they all seemed perfectly fine yesterday. {{more}}

Absences are frustrating for the people who do show up because they get saddled with picking up the slack. It also lays the groundwork for very intense, often unhealthy intra-office relationships.

At least, the lame excuses people come up with as to why they cannot come to work can be entertaining. These top the charts-so be sure not to use them!

1. The weather is bad. Unless you live in a flood zone or a storm or hurricane is threatening doom, or a tree fell on top of your house the night before, get the umbrella out and get yourself to work.

2. My child is really sick. Some people abuse this excuse. When children are sick, they should be tended to right away, but as a worker, you should also have back-up plans in place if your child is sick very often. With that said, if your child has stubbed a toe, suffered a small cut, or caught the sniffles, you do not have an emergency. That is called life-deal with it, and get to work.

3. I have an emergency-but what exactly does that mean? For some people, a friend coming to visit unexpectedly is an emergency. Be careful if you have too many emergencies that cannot be verified. Your coworkers will really begin to resent you.

4. I am sick. Well how sick are you? Mild cramps, an argument with a spouse or girlfriend, a little toothache, or a light cough does not usually qualify as “sick.” Again, take a painkiller, grow up, and get back in the game. My Mom used to say, unless you are contagious, bleeding, at death’s door, or on your way to or from the emergency room, you are healthy enough for school and work!

5. Friday, Monday, Deadline Blues. Some people just seem unable to function on a Friday, a Monday, or any time they have a deadline. They are not sick; they don’t have any emergency. But life ceases to exist. FMDB sufferers are always conveniently absent when the pressure is on. Are you suffering from FMDB?

So what exactly are “acceptable” excuses for calling your boss and taking a day off?

You want a track record with your boss that says whenever you call in, it’s because you really are unable to perform. Once in a while, we are all allowed a mental health day. Just be upfront, plan ahead, and consider your coworkers and their workloads. Then, if you can, take that personal day, and recharge your batteries.

Leave emergencies and sick days for when you are truly sick or when you have an unexpected incident. If you want to know if your excuse is valid, imagine you owned the company and you were receiving a call with the excuse you had planned.

Would you believe it?

Karen Hinds President/CEO – Workplace Success Group,
Toll Free: 1-877-902-2775;
Tel: 1-203-757-4103
Karen@WorkplaceSuccess.com
www.WorkplaceSuccess.com
Creator of The Workplace Success Program (TM)