Looking for the best excuses to miss work on short notice? Whether or not you actually have a good reason for missing work doesn’t matter here. When I worked my 9-to-5 job, I believed in being 100% honest with my employer, and compared with peers who would stretch the truth, I faired MUCH worse. While honesty is the best policy, it doesn’t always win in the workplace.
On the other end of this, many times there are legit, good excuses to call out. And, I’ll discuss these below.
With that said, I’ve compiled the best excuses to miss work on short notice. Let’s get into them.
What are the best excuses to miss work on short notice?
It could range from needing to book a last-minute doctor’s appointment to needing to attend a fueral, wanting to take a personal day for mental health or other reason. These are real reasons as excuses for missing work with short notice.
But, you don’t necessarily tell your employer this, though, I did have a former co-worker who managed to get a week off at the last minute when she broke up with her fiance.
Here are the X best excuses to miss work on short notice.
5+ Best Excuses to Miss Work on Short Notice
What you’ll find from this list is that these are actually good excuses to miss work on short notice. You don’t have to worry about any eyebrows being raised at work or attention being called to you being out at work. I don’t know if I’d call these bulletproof excuses to get out of work but, overall, they work pretty well.
1. Personal or family illness or medical emergency
This is the most common reason why people need an excuse to miss work especially, on short notice. A cold or flu can sneak up on you out of nowhere. You can feel well the night before and wake up with a raging headache or fever the next morning. It happens.
Personal or family illness or medical emergency is a commonly accepted reason for taking time off from work because it is a legitimate and unavoidable situation that can arise unexpectedly.
When an employee or their family member falls ill or has a medical emergency, it can be difficult or even impossible for the employee to perform their job duties effectively.
By allowing employees to take time off in such circumstances, employers demonstrate their concern for the well-being of their employees and their families.
Examples of sick excuses for work:
- Having a cold or the flu
- Mental health emergency
- Injury
In addition, many employers offer sick leave or other benefits that provide employees with the opportunity to take time off without losing pay or risking their job security.
Such benefits are designed to help employees manage unexpected health-related situations without having to worry about the financial impact or job security.
Allowing employees to take time off for personal or family illness or medical emergencies also helps to foster a positive work environment, where employees feel supported and valued by their employer. This can lead to increased employee morale, loyalty, and productivity, ultimately benefiting the company as a whole.
I remember one employer giving me a hard time for asking for a few hours off at the end of the day because I needed to go to my doctor to get tested for a contagious disease I had been exposed to (it was tuberculosis and I tested negative). I felt bad for asking for time off.
I felt bad when the employer told me no at first before, I had to further explain the reason for the appointment, which wasn’t needed at all. That personal information wasn’t needed for me to share and I kicked myself for that, later on. Know your health rights.
2. Car trouble or transportation issues
Car trouble is one of the top reasons to call out of work. That’s because this can happen and it can strike at any moment. Your car suddenly needs repairs or you get a flat tire and you live an hour away from your job. You need the day to work on repairing your car.
Car trouble is a commonly accepted reason for missing work on short notice because it is an unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance that can prevent an employee from being able to get to work on time or at all.
Examples of car trouble work excuses
- You got a flat tire
- Your car won’t start
- You were driving to work and your car stopped working
- Car battery needs a jump
- Car accident
Many employees rely on their personal vehicles to get to work, and when a car breaks down or won’t start, it can cause significant disruption to their schedule and ability to perform their job duties.
Employers generally understand that car trouble can happen to anyone, regardless of how well they maintain their vehicle or how responsible they are as an employee. Therefore, many employers are willing to be flexible and accommodate employees who are experiencing car trouble, by allowing them to arrive late, work remotely if possible, or take the day off if necessary.
By being understanding and accommodating in such situations, employers can demonstrate their commitment to supporting their employees and promoting a positive work environment. This can help to foster employee loyalty and job satisfaction, which can ultimately benefit the company through increased productivity and reduced turnover.
3. Family or personal reasons
Family or personal reasons is a commonly accepted reason for taking time off from work because it is a legitimate and private matter that can arise unexpectedly.
Employees may need to take time off to deal with a variety of personal or family-related issues such as a death in the family, a wedding, or a child’s school event. These issues can be important and urgent, requiring an employee’s immediate attention and time away from work.
Employers generally recognize the importance of work-life balance and understand that employees have responsibilities outside of work.
By allowing employees to take time off for family or personal reasons, employers can demonstrate their commitment to supporting their employees and promoting a positive work environment.
This can help to foster:
- Employee loyalty
- Job satisfaction, and
- Productivity
This can ultimately benefit the company, as a whole.
However, it’s important to note that the specifics of the reason for the absence may affect the employer’s decision to grant the request for time off.
Employers may require employees to provide some form of documentation or proof of the reason for the absence, especially if the time off will result in a significant disruption to the company’s operations. Employers may have specific policies or procedures in place for requesting time off, which employees should follow to ensure that their absence is properly documented and approved.
4. Severe weather
Severe weather is a commonly accepted reason for missing work on short notice because it is an unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance that can pose a risk to an employee’s safety and ability to travel to work.
Severe weather conditions such as:
- Blizzards
- Hurricanes
- Tornadoes, or
- Flooding
All these weather events can make roads and highways unsafe and can cause transportation systems to shut down or be delayed.
I don’t know how many times my area got a freeze and I was nervous about having to show up to work the next day in slippery, frozen conditions. Luckily, I work for myself and work from home now and I don’t face that any longer.
Employers generally recognize that severe weather conditions can disrupt an employee’s ability to get to work and may put them at risk if they attempt to travel during hazardous weather conditions. Therefore, many employers are willing to be flexible and accommodating when it comes to allowing employees to take time off during severe weather events.
By allowing employees to take time off during severe weather events, employers can demonstrate their concern for the safety and well-being of their employees, which can help to promote a positive work environment. This can lead to increased employee morale, loyalty, and productivity, ultimately benefiting the company as a whole.
However, it’s important to note that employers may have specific policies or procedures in place for requesting time off due to severe weather, which employees should follow to ensure that their absence is properly documented and approved. Additionally, employers may require employees to provide some form of documentation or proof of the severe weather conditions to ensure that the time off is legitimate.
5. Household emergencies
Household emergencies are a commonly accepted excuses to call into work. That’s because these events are unforeseen and urgent situations that can require an employee’s immediate attention and time away from work.
A household emergency could include events such as:
- A burst pipe
- A gas leak
- Fire, or
- Severe damage to the home due to a natural disaster
Employers generally understand that household emergencies can happen to anyone, regardless of how well-prepared or responsible an employee may be.
These situations often require an employee’s immediate attention, and it may not be possible for them to perform their job duties while the emergency is being addressed.
By allowing employees to take time off for household emergencies, employers can demonstrate their concern for the well-being of their employees and their families, and can help to promote a positive work environment. This can lead to increased employee morale, loyalty, and productivity, ultimately benefiting the company as a whole.
However, it’s important to note that employers may require employees to provide some form of documentation or proof of the household emergency, especially if the time off will result in a significant disruption to the company’s operations. Additionally, employers may have specific policies or procedures in place for requesting time off, which employees should follow to ensure that their absence is properly documented and approved
6. Jury duty or other legal reasons
Jury duty is a legally mandated civic responsibility, and therefore it is a commonly accepted reason for missing work on short notice. When an employee receives a summons for jury duty, they are required by law to serve as a juror and participate in the judicial system.
Employers generally understand the importance of jury duty and are required by law to provide time off to employees who have been summoned to serve. In many cases, employees are granted paid time off to serve on a jury, although this can vary depending on the employer’s policies and the specific jurisdiction.
By allowing employees to take time off for jury duty, employers can demonstrate their commitment to supporting the judicial system and to upholding the law. This can help to foster a positive relationship between the employer and the community, which can ultimately benefit the company through increased customer loyalty and goodwill.
However, it’s important to note that employers may require employees to provide documentation or proof of their jury duty summons in order to receive time off, and that employees are generally expected to inform their employer as soon as possible after receiving the summons.
Additionally, employers may have specific policies or procedures in place for requesting time off for jury duty, which employees should follow to ensure that their absence is properly documented and approved.
Is it bad to call out of work?
It’s not good for the employer but, it may be good for you.
Companies need good workers and sound employees to work for them. If you’re having a tough week mentally and you need a day to regain balance, it’s in your best interest to take a personal day. Or, if you have a death in the family and you need time off to attend the funeral versus going to work, attending a funeral is something you should do and companies should understand that.
What you might find is that companies that are very restrictive especially with calling out to work, will create a company culture that is rife with disgruntled employees.
Employees may start to feel like the company doesn’t care about them and in turn, may start to not care about the company. That can lead to productivity problems, poor work performance, and other issues.
What are the best excuses to miss work?
The best excuses to miss work are legitimate ones. That means you call out sick when you’re actually sick or you miss work due to a household emergency because an actual household emergency exists like you have a water main break in or around your house.
Don’t feel guilty about calling in to work especially sick excuses for work. Sometimes it’s in the best interest of everyone to call in to work when you need to.
For example, imagine you have the flu and instead of you thinking that it’s a good excuse to get out of work, you go into the office. Then, you infect the entire office and multiple people are now sick with the flu.
This happens more often than you might think.
This survey revealed that 65% of workers went to work sick.
More reasons to call out to work
Check out these videos for more excuses for work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dFLvqW99Hs
Bottom line
Before I became an entrepreneur, I remember feeling guilty about calling in to work. I used to think were no good excuses for work when I needed to skip a day or multiple days. I’d feel guilty even with a legitimate reason to skip work. As a result, I ended up going to work sick, I missed important events, and I was just more unhappy, overall.
Eventually, I realized that I was important and that calling in to work when I needed to, was something I had to embrace. It happens to everyone and there really are good excuses to call into work.
What do you think?
Do you have a hard time calling into work?
