11 Best Excuses for How to Call Out of Work With Examples

Tell them your car didn’t start in the morning and you are bringing it into the shop. Since you don’t have a method to get to work, you can request to stay home and take the day off. Issues happen, and things that CAN go wrong WILL go wrong no matter what day it is. If you own a house (or rent), you know that household issues are a fairly common occurrence and a great excuse to leave work a few minutes early. They don’t typically warrant any deeper questioning from a boss, either.

Entry-Level Professionals

As per federal law, your employer must give you unpaid time off for jury duty. However, depending on your state, your employer might also be required to compensate you for your absence. It is possible that you may have to present your official jury summons to your employer, so it is advisable to be prepared. If you receive a jury summons in the mail, it is a perfectly valid and reasonable excuse to take time off from work. Thus, requesting time off as soon as you become aware of it is essential. You can call out of work for a few hours in the case of a minor car problem.

• Follow those rules to a tee to avoid any confusion and frustration.
• Be sure to let your boss know ahead of time if you think there’s a chance that you might need an emergency day, and be honest with them about what the emergency is.
• Practicing religion is a personal and important part of life.

Be open with your employer about your situation and provide them with an estimate of when you’ll be able to return to work. Many professionals attend conferences, seminars, or other professional development events to stay up-to-date in their field. While some of these may be sponsored by your employer, others may not be, and could require taking time off work. Sometimes, you may just need a day off for personal well-being. This could be to relax, pursue a hobby, or spend time with family and friends.

This is another one that most people won’t ask questions about. Similar to taking care of a sick child, family emergencies can cover anything from helping a parent or taking care of any family member. If your boss has kids, they’ll most likely understand the complications of daycare. If not, they may ask you for proof, but probably won’t make a big deal out of it unless it’s a regular occurrence. This may include a doctor’s appointment, a dentist appointment, medical appointment, or even things like a DMV (department of motor vehicles) appointment. Many of these places are only open during daytime business hours and every employer expects that people will need time off for these things.

You have car trouble, new or ongoing, that needs to be handled.

If not, then in the course of your career, there will likely come a time when you need to call out of work. It might be due to family issues, personal illness, personal emergency, or other perfectly valid cause. If you’re feeling under the weather or have a sudden emergency, there’s no need to panic.

If it comes back online later, I’ll let you know, but as of right now, I’m going to have to take the day off. I have a temporary crown on my tooth and it came off this morning. I’m going to need to take the day off and go to the dentist to have this fixed as soon as possible. I wanted to call you first and let you know that I won’t be in today. You may have broken a tooth, had a crown come off, or you’re experiencing pain in your mouth. I’m lying on the couch and I’m not going to make it into work today.

It’s understandable to feel uncomfortable and unmotivated when you’re not well-rested, but it’s generally not considered one of the valid reasons to miss work. Doing so might give the impression that you’re unreliable and irresponsible. If you are experiencing stress, either personally or professionally, it can be beneficial to take a mental health day or a stress leave to recover. If you experience a home emergency, it may be a reasonable cause for missing work.

Preventive care (like dental work or annual checkups) and follow-up appointments can be hard to schedule outside of business hours. Whether you’re sick, mentally drained, or dealing with something urgent at home, taking time off isn’t just okay—it’s healthy. In fact, trying to push through when you’re not well can actually do more harm than good. You risk making mistakes, burning out, or even spreading illness to your coworkers.

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Even if they have some strict policies in place, they know how to take care of other employees who need time off for emergencies too. If the issue is sensitive—like a mental health matter or family crisis—you can keep it vague while still sounding professional. A simple “personal emergency” or “urgent situation at home” is usually enough. Whether it’s a hospitalized parent, a partner in crisis, or a child who needs urgent attention, these situations often require immediate time away from work. In these cases, it’s perfectly appropriate to prioritize your loved ones and give your manager a quick, respectful heads-up.

I’m requesting paid/unpaid/partially paid leave and am flexible regarding aspects you’re willing to negotiate. I’m happy to discuss modifications to this proposal that would better accommodate team needs. Upon return, I’ll bring specific skills/perspectives that will directly benefit our specific projects/initiatives. I’m committed to a minimum timeframe return period following this sabbatical. I appreciate your understanding and discretion regarding this request. Respecting religious diversity requires thoughtful accommodation in the workplace.

• Even the occasional mental health day constitutes a totally legitimate excuse to stay home and out of the office.
• I’m writing to request number days of professional development leave to attend program/course/conference on dates.
• Physical exhaustion can obviously affect work performance, especially if you’re tasked with manual labor.

Personal Illness

Employers are typically understanding of such circumstances and legally obliged to reasonably accommodate religious practices. Religious observances and ceremonies are legitimate reasons to miss work. These could include holidays, festivals, or special rituals that are important to your faith. Attending a marriage or civil ceremony, either your own or of a close friend or family member, is a valid reason to miss work.

Child’s Illness

If additional time is needed, be upfront with your manager about your needs. Suppose your elderly parent falls ill suddenly and needs your help. In such a scenario, you would likely need to take time off to care for them.

In such a situation, you should inform your employer about your medical condition and the need for your absence. Consider offering to make up for the lost time or work remotely, if possible. Physical exhaustion can obviously affect work performance, especially if you’re tasked with manual labor. It’s also an important consideration for commuters who drive themselves to work. If you’re feeling tired to the point where it’s difficult to concentrate or stay alert, you should seriously consider calling out of work.

This is probably the most common bulletproof excuse people use. For some reason, many Americans like to go to work sick like it’s a badge of honor and productivity but it’s usually the opposite that happens. Everyone else gets sick and it kills productivity across the company.

Her passions include mental health advocacy, travel, animals, and nature photography. In Writing and Philosophy from Grand Valley State University. If you’re not physically or mentally ready, rest is better than wasting a workday. If you test positive or must quarantine, use your sick leave—it’s safer for everyone.

Your reasons to call out of work employer should give you the necessary time off to fulfill your civic duty. Caring for a sick relative may also require taking time away from work. You may be called on to transport them to medical appointments, help them out with daily activities, or offer emotional support.

I’ve also heard some pretty wild excuses and thought I’d share them for fun. It’s completely out of your control when public transit has delays. The only reason I didn’t put it in the bulletproof section is because there may be alternative transportation you could use to still get to work. My dog was bit by a possum on our morning walk and I’m worried about an infection. The vet said I should bring them in right away so I won’t be able to make it into work. Without going into too much detail, I’m in a rough spot mentally with anxiety over the wedding and I need to take some time off today.