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Best one from recent memory is "my dog is running around the garden and I can't get her in".
Having done my time as pond scum through my twenties and used all the classics myself from time to time, you can't kid a kidder. Treat your staff as you would expect to be treated yourself, it's obvious when someone is swinging the lead and if they think they can play the system they can expect all the crap jobs until they get fed up and leave.
Honesty really is the best policy. If someone calls in and says "I feel terrible", that's fine. Doesn't matter to me if it's self-inflicted, if they do it too often HR will sort it out. I have staff with mental health issues, I encourage them to be upfront about it and days off due to stress/anxiety are not an issue. Good staff deserve to be looked after. Ring in 10 minutes before you're supposed to be at work with some ridiculous excuse however and you'll rapidly be on borrowed time.
I've pulled a couple of sickies when I wasn't really feeling that ill but I just couldn't be arsed so I phoned up and laid it on. Probably everyone has done that at some point in their life.
Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 10:22 - Jun 26 by ThisIsMyUsername
I've pulled a couple of sickies when I wasn't really feeling that ill but I just couldn't be arsed so I phoned up and laid it on. Probably everyone has done that at some point in their life.
How dare you, I've never called in sick without being sick ever. Spruce will slipper you!
As a few people have mentioned, quite a few people have called in at various places I've worked due to snow even though they not only live within walking distance but they actually walk to work.
One I forgot to mention in my earlier post a colleague on my team rang in to my boss said she couldn't get into work as there had been a major accident at the end of her road and it was blocked by emergency services.... My boss said no problem. I pointed out she could have walked to the nearest bus stop and come in that way rather than drive and perhaps most importantly that she did not live in a cul-de-sac so could have driven out the other end of her road...
Also once had a colleague in a different department get a week off work because he pulled his hamstring playing for the work five-a-side team. We all swiftly got a clause in our contract stating we would not be paid for any time off work due to sporting injury.
Finally, someone phoned in as his hamster had escaped and he was worried his cat would eat it. To be fair, he did make up the lost time.
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Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 11:46 - Jun 28 with 2190 views
I have just had a colleague informing us that he is leaving early because it is raining heavily.
Although to be fair he is in Mumbai and I think when they say it is raining heavily over there it really is raining heaviy and he has had to wade through waist deep water to get into work before.
Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 18:30 - Jun 25 by wkj
I kind of see where your coming from in terms of frustration, but there are parts of this post that are a but unsavoury sounding. I've been in the management possition and had a responsibility to accommodate parents as best I could within reasonable means. Doesn't mean I would take away promises given to other staff members, but I would allow shorter lunchbreaks for earlier finishes for parents during term time and the sort
I can't see anything unsavoury in J2's post. He's spot on. I've had loads of situations where I've had to work late while people with kids get to leave on time. It's not on. People without kids have a life too.
Also - why is it always THEM that have to leave for the kids. What is their partner doing?
Funny how when they want a night out on the piss they can seem to easily arrange childcare, but when it comes to working late it's suddenly really difficult.
Slightly off topic - but I was late for college once because of traffic. I drove from Hatfield to Watford each day... but always left plenty of time because the tutor was a stickler for punctuality and would tear strips of anyone who was late.
For the first time ever, though, he laughed at my excuse. Because it was so bizarre he knew I couldn't have made it up.
It was a road with two lanes going in the same direction, and on this particular day I was stuck behind... a hearse next to a gritter. The two slowest vehicles, next to each other!
Was talking the other day to a Window Cleaner. He proudly said that several years ago while working as a post man in London, he got fed up with the job so went off sick with a bad back.
Instead of 'recuperating' at home in bed, he went travelling for 6 months, taking in Cambodia, Viet Nam and New Zealand. All on full pay.
Any phone calls from work were dealt with by his dad who said he was unable to get to the phone!
Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 13:00 - Jun 28 by BrixtonBlue
I can't see anything unsavoury in J2's post. He's spot on. I've had loads of situations where I've had to work late while people with kids get to leave on time. It's not on. People without kids have a life too.
Also - why is it always THEM that have to leave for the kids. What is their partner doing?
Funny how when they want a night out on the piss they can seem to easily arrange childcare, but when it comes to working late it's suddenly really difficult.
Cheers Dollers. I have no doubt taking care of kids is hard but I do find they are used to their fullest potential by parents to get advantages at work.
Spruce said it takes a village to raise a child. It seems that co-workers are part of that village, willingly or not.
When I worked at a language school in Spain it's raining was genuinely the most common excuse used by students. If it rained normally half of them didn't turn up.
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Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 18:38 - Jun 28 with 2030 views
Had a guy stay at home (from his desk job) a couple of weeks back because of a blister.
I also heard a story once about a complete bell who cried off of a shift because someone stole his shoes. That’s probably the most ridiculous one I have heard.
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Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 12:45 - Jun 29 with 1960 views
Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 18:38 - Jun 28 by WD19
Had a guy stay at home (from his desk job) a couple of weeks back because of a blister.
I also heard a story once about a complete bell who cried off of a shift because someone stole his shoes. That’s probably the most ridiculous one I have heard.
To be fair, Sitters is a responsible family man now!
Best/worst excuse for a member of staff blowing out of work. on 11:42 - Jun 25 by WarkTheWarkITFC
I remember being genuinely aggrieved when there was heavy snow about 10 years back.
I worked 30 miles away and got to the office at 11am, two hours late to find that 8 people out of 15 were in.
Of the 8 that made it, 5 of us came the furthest distance to the office.
Of the 7 that didn't get in, 3 of them were in walking distance of the office, on a bus route, which was still running.
One used the excuse her car couldn't get up a hill near the cul de sac she lived. As I say, she lived on a bus route and it would have taken her 20 minutes to walk in those conditions.
Everyone that didn't bother got full pay. The ones that made it didn't even get to leave early when more snow was predicted. One of the few times I have been genuinely fuming at work.
Agree. Snowing is taken as a blank check in East Anglia. As you say, the people who have a ten minute commute seem to be the people quickest to say it's impassable. Those that do make it in usually spend the whole day looking out the window until at about 2:30 they run for home before the chaos starts.
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