Coming late to work is sometimes inevitable since we are not in total control of our circumstances. We can always plan to be punctual but stuff happens. When you arrive work late, how do you handle it? For some managers, it could be an issue while for others, it could be overlooked.
There are a couple of excuses you can present for either coming late to work or just skipping a day entirely. Some excuses are valid however, some are weird. When you have a valid excuse to give, there are some reasons you should give for your late coming.
Best Excuses you Can Give for Being Late to Work
Information gathered from a survey done by CareerBuilder tells us that the three most popular excuses for being absent from work are traffic, sleep, and weather. Other reasons include tiredness and forgetfulness.
Some other valid excuses can be car breakdowns, family emergency, transportation issues, a sick child, house problems (like a flooded apartment or a fire emergency), having a doctor’s appointment, being ill, etc.
However, some other reasons are considered weird and as such should not be offered as excuses
- I fell asleep in the parking lot.
- I had to wait to cook before leaving the house.
- I had a wardrobe malfunction.
- I had to correct my makeup.
- A fortune cookie warned of my death today so I was scared of coming out.
- I watched TV late into the night.
- I had to do the laundry this morning.
- I forgot today wasn’t weekend yet.
- I used a hair product that caused problems for my hair.
- My dog poo all over my house.
- My child wanted me to stay home with him/her.
- The weather man said it was going to rain so I waited to see if it would.
- I wanted to see new places so I took a different route and got lost.
- The alarm clock didn’t wake me up
- I had a hangover
These excuses may turn out to be true but they sound very bizarre
What Do I Do When Excuses Are Impermissible?
Sometimes, we may think we are afforded the opportunity to be late at least once but our boss may reason otherwise, what do you do in such a situation?
Most employers expect their employees to be punctual every day, some go as far firing a staff for coming late.
If you frequently come late then you should adjust your morning schedules to help you stop coming late. You can do things like preparing your clothes the night before work, cooking in the night, shifting your getting up time earlier, taking a shower in the night, etc.
How to Take Excuses
If you know you are going to be late and you don’t have the right excuse, here are the steps you should take.
Inform Your Boss
As soon as possible, if you know you are going to be absent from work or you are going to run late, inform your boss through any medium within your reach. If you can inform him personally, or via an email. If you know you are going to miss a day, you can offer to come in late or early in the day.
Be Honest About It
A lie will always come back to nip your bud. It’s better to be honest about your situation as a lie caught will most likely get you fired. Some bosses always follow up to ensure you aren’t lying.
Don’t Give Too Much Details
When you give too much details in your excuse, it can end up sounding like a well thought out lie. And if you are interviewing for another job and you need to take an excuse from your boss, just tag it as an appointment which is unavoidable.
Don’t Give Excuses Every time
Don’t be the jockey who always has an excuse to be absent. That way, you will easily lose your job. Situations beyond our control occur but we don’t regularize being absent from work.
Be Considerate About When You Miss Work
Don’t deliberately be absent when you input is desperately needed at the office. If it is within your power, try to consider the state of things at work before you take a break.
You can ask for a few hours at the start of a less busy day or at the end of a less busy day however you do this, always try to make up for the lost time.
