Late-For-Work Excuses: the Good, the Bad, the Idiotic

So you overslept, can't find your favorite sweater, and you've been daydreaming about bumping into that hottie from the 8th floor. Bottom line: you are running seriously late for work.

Since none of the above exactly qualifies as a great excuse for tardiness, you need to get creative. Here are some fab suggestions from MSN.com:

~I had to audition for American Idol
~I was busy being indicted
or my personal fave...
~my route to work was cut off by a presidential motorcade

Apparently these are real life examples of some of the whoppers managers have been fed, and according to the article 24% of employees choose a fib over the truth when explaining away their lateness.

Which is stupid, because in many cases managers don't mind if you're late occasionally, as long as you meet your deadlines and produce consistently good work. I can really identify with this-- my husband and I have been known to be a smidge late at times.

Exhibit A: One of my husband's former employers offered a $25 monthly bonus to every employee that had a perfect attendance record, plus a $100 yearly bonus if you managed that all year. That works out to $400/year extra, which apparently did not sound like a whole lot to my husband because he never cashed in on any of it. One month, he was late 17 times (it was always only by 5-10 minutes) so his boss called him in for a "pep talk".

"There was only one other person who had this many lates in a single month... and we fired him."

My husband simply smiled and explained that he's not a morning person, he stays 1 or 2 hours late every day and delivers on all his projects. His manager made a weak attempt to encourage his future promptness and let it go. When my husband moved on to another job a year later, he received an excellent reference.

Lesson learned: Be honest. Your manager isn't an idiot and won't buy a complex excuse. Also, he/she doesn't care why you're late, just that you are. Deliver on your assignments and make up the time consistently.

Exhibit B: I was working night shift full-time at a bakery plus part-time at a grocery store while supporting my husband's studies. Understandably, I was seriously sleep deprived. One day I missed my alarm and was jarred awake by the phone. My manager at the store was calling to see why I wasn't there. In my half-awake state, I mumbled something about not being able to drive my scooter in the thunderstorm and I'd be in when the weather cleared.

She put me on hold, looked outside (I assume), and asked: "What thunderstorm?"

I was starting to come out of my fog and hastily said I'd be there as soon as possible. By the time I got to work I had forgotten all about it (sleepnesia, I figured). Later, my boss found me in the break room and asked about the confusion. Suddenly the entire conversation came back to me, and I stammered out the bald truth about having been still asleep while on the phone. I must have been dreaming the storm. A moment's pause, and then she began to howl with laughter. Other coworkers came in and were told the story in laughing gasps. It was embarrassing, but I laughed it off and it was never an issue. I should add that my manager knew I was working nights too, and so she never questioned my story.

Lesson learned: Again, be honest even if the truth is embarrassing. At least in my case, the excuse was perfectly plausible. Plus, if you're going to use such a complicated excuse, it'd better be the truth or you'll never keep your facts straight on redirect.

Have you ever fibbed and been caught? What was your most creative excuse? Tell us your story in the comments!