Real Work Excuses You Can Use To Stay Home From Work

by Mike on January 29, 2009
in Random

16 Comments

I was researching keywords for an article I’m working on and I realized there are a ton of people searching for good excuses to skip work.  Just look at them all!

273 real work excuses
106 excuses to skip work
60 excuses to miss work
47 excuses for not going to work
24 real excuses to miss work
21 excuses work absence
16 excuses for work absence
16 good excuses for missing work
15 serious excuses to miss work
12 good excuses to miss work

Now I’m guessing most people are looking for real work excuses so they can stay home and sit on the couch watching The Price is Right or General Hospital…but I’ll assume you want to stay home so you can concentrate on building your blog or creating an info product to sell.  ;)

Anyway I called my buddy Joe who works as an office manager/HR guy for a small business and asked what were the craziest real work excuses he had ever heard?  Here’s a few of his favorites…

  • “I need off so I can try out for American Idol.”
  • “I have no heat in my apartment.”  (Wouldn’t you WANT to come to work where its warm?)
  • “I have a lot going on and need to reflect on things and find myself.”
  • “I hurt my wrist playing Guitar Hero.”
  • “I’m getting a boob job.”
  • “Man, I TOLD my wife the chicken looked undercooked!”
  • “I’m in a 3-day Madden tournament.”
  • “It looks like it might snow.”
  • “Dude, its March Madness time!”
  • “I need a month off while I serve a 30 day sentence.”  (This guy actually called from prison!)

    • I want to hear from you…leave a comment below with the craziest excuse you ever gave your boss so you could skip work…

     

     

    Comments

    16 Responses to “Real Work Excuses You Can Use To Stay Home From Work”
    1. Steve Booth (10 comments.) says:
      January 31, 2009 at 3:20 pm

      Hey Mike,
      Actually, this excuse really happened recently. A friend in Texas parked her car in the garage, and there was an ice storm overnight that froze the garage door shut so she couldn’t get her car out in the morning (actually, by the afternoon they figured out the automatic opener was broken too). Anyway, I guess you need an ice storm to use that one. I like the ones you have. ~ Steve Booth
      PS. You rank #7 on google for “real work excuses”. Not bad. ;)

    2. Mike Collins says:
      January 31, 2009 at 3:37 pm

      Thanks Steve for noticing that. Just shows how easy it can be to rank for those long tail keywords. Lets see if it lasts.

    3. Donny Gamble (2 comments.) says:
      February 1, 2009 at 1:15 pm

      I use some of the same excuses from time to time and I have realized that when I do, I tend to get sidetracked substantially.

      Donny Gambles last blog post..Post Office Sunday

    4. Webkinz (15 comments.) says:
      February 1, 2009 at 5:53 pm

      Heh =) I wish these excuses could work =)

      Webkinzs last blog post..Webkinz Jr. Releases by Ganz

    5. Funny Stuff (15 comments.) says:
      February 1, 2009 at 10:50 pm

      I don’t think “I’m getting a boob job.” will work for me . Mostly because I’m a guy.

      Funny Stuffs last blog post..Weekly Recap – 01/26/2009 – 01/30/2009

    6. Jason Fulton (19 comments.) says:
      February 2, 2009 at 1:05 am

      It was melbourne cup day a few years back. I went to the local track with friends and got on the drink, after a big day on couldn’t get up for work the following day so i told the boss that i ate a “Bad Prawn” , he new i was hungover , everytime i take a day off now he always asks if i ate a bad prawn :)

      Jason

    7. Best Deals Online (2 comments.) says:
      February 5, 2009 at 7:52 am

      Hmm… if only men had boobs – then we could use the boob job excuse :p

      Best Deals Onlines last blog post..Win A Free Flip Mino HD At SmarterWealth.net

    8. Make Money Online (5 comments.) says:
      February 5, 2009 at 10:25 am

      LOL hurt your wrist playing guitar hero? I am gonna try that!

      Ben

      Make Money Onlines last blog post..Apple Mac Turns 25

    9. Steve Booth (10 comments.) says:
      February 5, 2009 at 8:58 pm

      hi Mike,
      I just checked google and now you’re #3 for “real work excuses”. Wow. I bow to you, google ranking master. :)
      You mentioned “long tail”, but I don’t really think of three words as long tail… I think you did something pretty cool here. What’s your secret? ~ Steve Booth

    10. Mike Collins says:
      February 5, 2009 at 11:59 pm

      @Steve: Well I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you…just kidding! There’s no secret. Just targeting a keyword without much competition.

      And yes, 3-word keyword phrases aren’t normally considered long tail. But since the competition was low I figured it was close enough to qualify.

    11. Christopher Ross (15 comments.) says:
      February 11, 2009 at 12:00 pm

      I read a great article the other day on a copy writing web site that talked about the power of the word “because” (I wish I could find the article for you) but it basically said that even when used for a lousy excuse people tend to accept it.

      For example, “I am staying home today” will be met with hostility but “I am staying at home today because I don’t feel like coming in” is oddly acceptable, even though there really is no excuse being given.

      Christopher Rosss last blog post..WordPress 2.7.1 Released

    12. Mike Collins says:
      February 11, 2009 at 12:42 pm

      That’s a great point Chris! Now that you mention it I remember reading that in Robert Cialdini’s “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” (great book).

      They had done a study where someone was busy at the copy machine and someone else came in wanting to jump in front of them. Sometimes they would just ask “Can I go in front of you?” and sometimes they’d say “Can I go in front of you because I need to make some copies?” I don’t recall the exact stats but the person making copies was much more likely to comply when the word “because” was used.

      Its fascinating stuff. Thanks for jogging my memory.

    13. Jay says:
      February 15, 2009 at 5:59 pm

      One time I called in (back when I was a teen and had a job working for McDonalds) and said I was suffering from radiation poisoning from the sun. Kind of far fetched but the manager accepted it.

    14. Swingers (1 comments.) says:
      February 18, 2009 at 6:30 pm

      I love the one with the guy calling from Prison! That is whacked.

      That’s like calling during the regatta and saying you got caught in a sailing race and it took longer than you thought. lol

      I’m walking the dog…

      I’m having a brain transplant…

      hahahaha too funny!

    15. michelle (1 comments.) says:
      May 11, 2009 at 6:23 am

      Data Entry job also one of the excuse to work from home and it will never works. :)

    16. Seimore Heiny says:
      July 31, 2009 at 6:05 pm

      Perfect Excuse (must be storming or raining)

      Stand outside your house while storming (under a awning of course). Call and talk, say you were in a accident and are a little shook up. “Yes I am ok but the bumper is questionable, I doubt I will be in today” Go back into the house and enjoy your day

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