A new study from CV-Library has shown that an astounding 82.9% of us have heard a colleague giving a false excuse for not turning up to work with an odd pack of excuses. These have included the bizarre

“There are cows in my garden so I can’t get to work”, to “I lost a darts tournament last night and I am too traumatised to come in” to the perfectly reasonable for anyone who’s ever worn a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes “I have blisters from wearing new shoes on Saturday night”.

Others included:

  • “I left my work uniform on the bus”
  • “My hamster is sick and needs to go to the vet”
  • “My boyfriend changed his relationship status on Facebook to single”
  • “I’m having a BBQ at the weekend and need time to prepare”

The study has revealed that nearly three quarters (71.4%) of Glaswegians said they feel pangs of guilt about calling in sick to work and that when it came to professions, only a third of manufacturing professionals admit that they have pulled a ‘sickie’ in the last year – the lowest of any sector in the UK

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said of the results:

“It’s apparent that many professionals still take unnecessary sick days, giving a whole host of excuses for not turning up to work. While it’s all too easy to come up with an excuse for not turning up to work, it’s important to think about the bigger picture and wider implications of your absence, especially when it’s not 100% necessary,” he said.

“Whether you’re in part-time work, or are well into your career, you’re going to be more trusted by your employer if you’re honest and open with them – you never know, they may grant you a bit of time out if you really do need it.”