Unfortunately, we’ve all been late to work, and whether it’s been a result of an epic traffic jam, or our inability to get out of bed, it happens. However, we are going to give you nine excuses you should never use to explain while you’re late to work.

Why? Because if you use these on a regular basis, especially during the first 90 days of your employment (usually the amount of time you’re employed before your first performance review), you might not have a job to be late for anymore.

 

1. I HAVE TO GO TO MY FRIEND’S FUNERAL.

It’s always tough when a friend or family member dies. However, if you tell your boss that you’re going to spend the day celebrating a friend or family member’s life, it’s not good if you end up tweeting and posting about the tree house you’re building like this guy. Getting caught on social media when you’re supposed to be someplace else all but guarantees you’ll be looking for a new job.

 

2. I HAD TO STOP FOR COFFEE

You live on coffee, right? After all, how are you supposed to have a good morning without caffeine?!? When the drive-thru line is too long and you end up showing up late four days out of five every week, you are going to push the limits of your manager’s patience. If your custom coffee order is keeping you from being at work at 8 AM, leave 15 minutes earlier, or you might have to figure out another way to fund your fancy coffee habit.

 

3. I GOT A FLAT TIRE

You can catch a string of bad luck, flat tires happen. But if you’re using your tires to come in hours after you should be at work each month, your boss will likely approach you about making this problem a thing of the past.

 

4. MY HAIR CAUGHT ON FIRE.

Yeah. This was an actual excuse that was given by a former employee of one of our clients. The unfortunate part, the employee came in the next day, all of her hair intact.

 

5. MY MOM FORGOT TO WAKE ME UP.

So. Many. Questions. Why is your mom in charge of waking you up? If you know that you’re a sound sleeper, you’ve got to plan for this potential downfall. If it means three alarm clocks set to the same time to provide a stereo alarm effect, or you stagger your alarm clocks to gradually wake up, any of these things could help you quit depending on your mom for your wake-up squad. By trying this new strategy you’ll become more independent, and you won’t ever have to tell anyone again that your mom is still your alarm clock.

 

6. I COULDN’T FIND MY CAR KEYS; A FOX STOLE THEM.

A fox grabbed international headlines for stealing a golfer’s wallet out of his bag, so why couldn’t a fox steal some keys? If missing keys are a constant source of pain for you, select a convenient place where you’ll always put them. You’ll be shocked at how much time you save each day when you only have to look one place to find your keys!

 

7. MY CAT IS STRESSED OUT.

This excuse doesn’t work for any animal. If your cat, dog, bird or fish is struggling, try to find a friend or neighbor who would be willing to check in on your pet. If you have to come in late or leave early to deal with a vet appointment, that’s a better excuse, but still something you should use sparingly, or only in cases where your pet is actually sick.

 

8. I’M PRETTY SURE I WON THE LOTTERY.

And you need to take the day off to figure it out? Guess what? If you match all the numbers from today’s drawing, which can be found online, you likely did win. It’s highly unlikely that this exercise requires an entire day away from work. Yikes. Your boss will see through this excuse.

 

9. I GOT DISTRACTED WATCHING _______.

Yes, Good Morning America and the Today show have some pretty compelling stories every morning. However, this kind of excuse leads your boss to wonder how you’re spending your day. It calls into question your time management skills. Using this excuse can lead to increased scrutiny on how efficient you are at your job, or what you perceive as the most important part of your job.

These are just 9 excuses you should NEVER use to explain why you didn’t get to work on time and know there are many more that bosses have heard. We also know that everyone has a day when the universe seems to put all sorts of obstacles in your way for no logical reason.

But you shouldn’t be late to work on a weekly basis and if you are it may be time to step back and reexamine your morning routine so you can forget about the stress of coming up with “creative” tardy excuses. Your boss and your career will thank you!

 

in conclusion

If you think it’s time to look for a new job, we can help you with that process. Send us an email and let us know it’s time and we’ll walk you through the process!