The following examples can give you hints on how to go about it. This might actually be the case, but it’s on our list of good excuses to miss work on short notice for a reason. You’ll need to make sure the day you’re taking off falls on a religious holiday of some sort. This excuse creates a sense of urgency, and most employers will understand an employee having an emergency that takes them out of the office.

A spouse, child, or dependent that needs your help taking care of an accident are all valid excuses for missing work. It’s impossible to predict an illness, so you have a reasonable ground to miss work on short notice when it happens. When you tell your boss to stay home, they’re less likely to raise issues. They’ll understand you can’t perform well at work when you’re sick. You may also be uncomfortable making it to the office.

It’s moving day

This works better if you are known as a hard worker who has been very productive over time. Your boss will gladly grant your request, knowing you will come back better. There are excuses that nobody can resist, and you can’t be faulted for using them as long as you didn’t get caught. Something like calling in sick is common, and every human being can relate.

• It’s inevitable, jury duty will eventually come calling and you must answer.
• If your child’s school has suddenly canceled or they are unexpectedly ill and you need to take care of them, those are good excuses for a family emergency.
• Simply saying you have a “personal emergency” is likely to be questioned by your employer, but saying you have explosive diarrhea is definitely not necessary.
• While only a few states require paid leave, a lot of private employers – even those not covered by the FMLA – provide a certain amount of paid maternity leave voluntarily.
• If you’re feeling even the slightest bit under the weather, it’s best not to spread a potential illness to your coworkers.
• To most, food poisoning means bouts of vomiting and diarrhea and just nastiness all around.
• If you get approval from your manager or boss about taking a day off, don’t forget to inform your team.

You may also need to share updates, especially if you’re unsure when you can return to work. Additionally, you may have to come up with a plan on how to cover missed work. Not all sicknesses are considered good excuses for missing work. For example, having a slight headache cannot be a convincing reason for your boss. When snow hits, getting to work can be impossible, and you must devise appropriate excuses to give your boss. The excuses must be convincing enough since not many employers perceive a snowy day as a solid reason to miss work. If a colleague covers your shift when you’re away, you may devise a plan to work on their behalf in the future.

Wrapping It Up: What Are the Best Reasons to Call Out of Work?

Even if you work remotely, powering through your work while sick will slow down your recovery and leave you less effective for a longer period of time. Unexpected household issues such as a burst pipe or a gas leak is a good excuse for missing work. Not only do you need to be home to mitigate any damage, but you also often have to be around to let in the repair person. Back pain can come on pretty suddenly, making this a good last-minute excuse for missing work. Whether it’s something brought on by age or an injury from the gym, people can relate to the debilitating pain of a back injury. This is an effective excuse because almost everyone can relate to an experience of food poisoning. It’s embarassing, unpleasant, and not the sort of thing that gareners a lot of follow-up questions.

Or if strong winds and heavy storms whipped through your neighborhood, you might lose power or your internet connection and can’t work online. If you can find somewhere else to set up shop, that’s great, but bad weather often affects businesses all around you, leaving you stuck at home.

Miscellaneous Absences

Sometimes there’s no way to get to work when your car breaks down or you’re in an accident. Even if you’re unharmed, you still have to deal with your insurance company and car repairs, so you need time to get these details worked out. We all need unexpected time off work sometimes, whether an emergency comes up or you got a bad case of food poisoning. Every company is different, so there are a few ways to handle these situations. If you had a flat tire on the way to work, it’s understandable if you won’t be able to make it. However, since a flat tire doesn’t take that long to fix, your employer might not want to give you the entire day off, instead being okay with you showing up late. This excuse doesn’t work if you take public transportation to the office, but if you drive there, it’s a perfectly legitimate reason not to go into work.

Fortunately, most companies have a bereavement policy allowing employees to take a few days off if a loved one passes away. Fortunately, these appointments don’t take an entire day, and you may still work a few hours instead of taking a whole day off. Additionally, you reasons to call out of work may have time to give notice rather than telling your employer about your intent to be out of work in a few hours. Sometimes, unexpected things that are out of your control, such as an emergency situation, may happen and make it impossible for you to get to work.

Your car broke down/flat tire

It would be very prying for someone to request your kid’s medical records. Letting your employer know that your child is sick and you have to care for them is a sure way to get out of work.

Generally speaking, a family emergency is an unexpected event that occurs, affecting the health or safety of your family. It could be a sudden illness, injury from an accident, or another devastating event. In some circumstances, you could be eligible for extended leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act . FMLA also protects employees so they can take leave if they themselves have a serious health condition. The law also requires employee health benefits to be maintained during the leave. Some of the aforementioned states only require small employers to provide at least unpaid instead of paid sick leave, and accrual rates vary between the states.