Excuses for Missing Work (Good and Bad Reasons) 



Do you need to skip work, but don't have a good excuse? Read below for some good – and very bad – excuses you can use when taking a day off work. Also read below for tips on giving an excuse to your employer.
 

Good Excuses for Missing Work:
 

If you are concerned about using the "I need a sick day" excuse too many times and want to be creative, here are some work excuses that might work when you need a reason to take time off from your job:
• Appointments (financial planner, acｃountant, lawyer, etc.)
• Babysitter problems
• Car troubles
• Colonoscopy (nobody wants to question that)
• Death in the family (be careful, see below)
• Doctor or dentist appointment
• Illness
• Family illness (child, parent)
• Leaky pipes
• Medical tests
• Migraine
• Root canal
• New baby in the family
 

Bad Excuses for Missing Work
 

Also remember that some excuses typically don't work. Some of them are too far-fetched, too elaborate, or simply not good enough reasons to miss a day of work. See below for some excuses that you probably do not want to use when you skip a day of work:
• Airline lost Grandma's body shipping it back for the funeral
• Car insurance expired
• Death in the family (especially if you have already used this one)
• Dog shut off alarm
• Got arrested
• Headache
• Lost phone
• Office is too cold
• Office is too hot
• PMS
• Someone stole water pipes
• Sore feet
• Stubbed toe
 

What Can Happen if You Get Caught
 

Do keep in mind that, even if you use what you think is a good excuse, being dishonest can cost you your job if you're caught.
 

Don't think that your employer won't check up on you. They typically will not, but there is always a chance they will. CareerBuilder's annual survey reports that 33% of employers who responded to the survey have checked up on an employee to confirm their excuse for missing work. Some employers have asked to see a doctor’s note, and others have called the employee to check in on them. Some have even driven to the employee’s house.
 

Tips for Giving an Excuse
 

When giving your employer an excuse, it is therefore best to be honest when you can. When telling your boss the reason for your absence, keep your excuse brief. Don’t go into an elaborate excuse – the longer the excuse, the more likely your employer is to think you are lying. Also, the longer your excuse, the less likely you will be able to remember it.
 

Also be sure to tell your boss about your absence as soon as possible. The best way to do this is by calling the office as soon as possible, or emailing your boss. If your company has a particular policy for calling in sick, be sure to follow those guidelines.
 

Excuses and Social Media
 

If you don’t tell your boss the truth, be careful about using social media. According to CareerBuilder’s survey, 34 percent of employers surveyed have caught an employee lying about being sick by checking their social media. Don't post a status, message, or photo that contradicts what you told your boss. 

Article Source: https://www.thebalance.com/excuses-for-missing-work-2060606
Image Source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02564/thumb_2564895b.jpg 

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. colonoscopy (n.) - a procedure in which a flexible fiber-optic instrument is ｉnserted through the anus in order to examine the colon.
2. migraine (n.) - a recurrent throbbing headache that typically affects one side of the head and is often accompanied by nausea and disturbed vision.
3. root canal (n.) - a procedure to replace infected pulp in a root canal with an inert material.
4. farfetched (adj.) - unlikely and unconvincing implausible.
5. elaborate (adj.) - involving many carefully arranged parts or details detailed and complicated in design and planning.
6. PMS ( Premenstrual syndrome abbr.) -  refers to physical and emotional symptoms that occur in the one to two weeks before a woman's period. Symptoms often vary between women and resolve around the start of bleeding. Common symptoms include acne, tender breasts, bloating, feeling tired, irritability, and mood changes.
7. stub (v.) - to strike accidentally against a projecting object 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Have you ever missed work without good reason?
If YES: What excuse did you give? What was the response?
If NOT: Have you ever thought about it? Why didn’t you do it?
2. What is the silliest excuse you’ve heard at your work place? What’s the most common excuse?
3. What is your office’s policy for calling in sick or for having to miss work?