27 Good Excuses To Miss Work On Short Notice

Taking some time off doesn’t always have to follow illness or disaster. The one thing you shouldn’t use a personal day for is your job search. This is dishonest and could put your coworkers in a tough position if you call out at the last minute for no good reason. Use traditional paid time off for your interviews and plan ahead as much as you can.

Navigating the need for time off work can sometimes feel challenging, but there are plenty of legitimate reasons that may require you to miss work on short notice. In this article, we explore 35 legitimate reasons to miss work, providing examples, explanations, and key points for each. Due to an urgent health issue with my pet, I am requesting to take the day off today. I’m feeling unwell this morning with brief description of symptoms, e.g., a severe headache, stomach issues. I plan to check my email periodically if anything urgent comes up.

You completely forget to ask and feel terrible about it.

While this is a situation that can usually be resolved within the day, it may cause you to miss work or arrive late. Notify your employer as soon as possible about the situation. If you can, try to find an alternate means of transportation to minimize your downtime. Regular veterinary appointments are also essential for the health of your pet. And you may not always be able to schedule these appointments outside of work hours. Have a conversation with your employer if you need to take some time to attend to your pet’s health.

• Important family events such as weddings or graduations warrant time off with proper notice.
• This could be anything from a sick relative in a different city to an urgent property issue that needs resolving.
• Nobody’s life is perfect and even the best and most dedicated employees have to miss a day of work.
• This gives your boss or supervisor proof that you were, in fact, sick and not just skipping work for no reason.
• If you have a less serious car problem, you can just call out of work for a few hours.
• Many pet owners see their dogs and cats as an essential part of their family, so they can provide a great reason to take the day off.

Important family events

Follow those rules to a tee to avoid any confusion and frustration. Home emergencies can come out of nowhere, leaving you with few options. These problems require immediate attention, and you can’t address them at work.

How to call in sick and what to say (with examples)

For example, say you’re waiting to see a specialist that has limited availability. If they call you in the morning to say that someone canceled their appointment, you may want to jump at the chance to take that opening. If you don’t, it could be months before you see this doctor. Make sure you communicate clearly with your manager to gain support and the time you need to focus on your health and well-being.

How do you call out of work when you aren’t sick?

• I believe it would be best to stay home and rest to avoid spreading illness to my coworkers and customers.
• Review your employee handbook for guidelines on taking time off.
• If you’re in school, your education is likely your top long-term priority.
• Not every company allows for mental health days, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a valid reason to call out of work.

They are only open during work hours and it’s the only time my doctor is available for the next 3 months and I don’t want to push my health off any longer. There are many good excuses to call out of work; poor planning is not one of them. Poor planning is not a quality any boss wants to see in their employee.

Just don’t use it too often or it will look like reasons to call out of work you don’t have reliable transportation. This could include weather that has caused you to have a flight delay or it could be weather that is not safe to drive in, like white-out conditions. This isn’t something you can prepare for and it’s a legitimate reason that few managers will question.

A family emergency is always a compelling reason to call out of work. People are understanding more about emergencies that happen in the family than any other type of emergency. 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.

The battery seems fine, so I had to call a tow truck to take it to the dealership to find out what is wrong. Maybe it’s not an accident, but a flat tire, your car won’t start, or a cracked windshield. You might not want to ask for the whole day off depending on the circumstance, but it’s sure to be an acceptable excuse for coming in late if nothing else.

Having a sick kid or a pipe bursting in your house are legit reasons many of us occasionally use to skip work. But more times than not, calling into work is due to a hangover, oversleeping, or just wanting to play hooky. If you’re not completely out of commission, offering a little flexibility, like answering urgent messages or helping with a quick handoff, is helpful. That said, don’t feel obligated to work if you’re truly unwell or overwhelmed.

Yes, you could try, but more than likely your attention will be on other things. If you can, it’s best to step away from your desk for the day, use your sick time or PTO, and take care of your family. Maybe you’re feeling fine, but you have a sick child at home and need to take care of them.

It is important to take time to grieve the death of people close to us. Apart from that, teh bereavement period also consists of financial and logistical tasks like arranging and planning funerals. Convey your reasons to call out of work in a more professional way.

I understand our company policy provides paid leave/requires using PTO/etc. for jury service. Please let me know if you need any additional documentation beyond the attached summons. I’m writing to request number days of medical leave from start date through end date. I’m writing to request number days of professional development leave to attend program/course/conference on dates. I need to request emergency leave effective immediately due to a serious family situation requiring my presence.