Good Excuse for Missing Work: 40 Best Reasons You Can Use Last Minute to Call Off Work

Forming up the perfect excuse to get off work is a tad bit difficult for most employees. Falling ill or feeling tired are no longer excuses to call out of work. You need a valid reason to convince your employee to stay off work.

Therefore, "whats a good excuse for missing work?" Let us help. We have a comprehensive list of believable excuses for missing work.

However, you can practice your good excuses to call off work last minute to be prepared when someone snoops around on a busy day. We highly recommend using this list of 40 bulletproof excuses to get out of work.

What are Legitimate Reasons for Missing?

Getting a day's rest is all an employer can pray for while at work. Whether it's for a doctor's appointment or just a mental health day, sometimes there's nothing better than calling in sick to work.

However, when you're in the office every day and can't remember the last time you missed a shift, that can be easier said than done. 

The good news is that you can easily get your day off. Depending on your situation, your boss might buy any of these reasons when you call in sick last minute.

What is a Good Last Minute Excuse?

The holidays are stressful. You might want to call in sick to work and relax at home. But what should you say? Here are 40 reasons to call out of work:

• You don't have any sick days left

This is a good excuse for intermittent or habitual fake sick days, but you should use it sparingly. It may not be believable if you have used this excuse multiple times already or have only worked at the company for a short time.

• Your stomach is upset

Almost everyone has experienced this one before. You can claim you ate something bad or that you generally feel nauseous and need some rest. Be sure to avoid mentioning food poisoning as the cause, as your boss might suggest going to see a doctor or getting some medicine before coming back to work.

• The flu

While this excuse can be credible, it also comes with complications. You may have to pretend to sneeze and cough a lot when you return to work.

• Your car won't start

This excuse works exceptionally well during winter when temperatures are low.

• I had a car accident

This is the best excuse to call off work, and you will even get sympathy with this one. However, when giving this excuse, make sure you act distressed when talking about it.

• I am sick

Most bosses don't want their employees bringing sicknesses in the office, so this is an excellent reason why you should stay home from work.

• My son/daughter is sick, and I need to care for them

This is an excellent reason for those with small children at home because no employer would want an employee bringing their sick kids to the office.

• Emergency at home

You have an emergency at home, such as a leaky pipe or broken window or other situation where you need professional help.

• You have a sick family member

If you have a sick family member, this can be a perfect reason to stay away from your work desk. Since you likely don't want to call off an appointment unless necessary, it's best to save this excuse as a last resort.

• My house caught on fire

After coming home from work one day, an employee decided to make dinner. While he was cooking, his kitchen caught on fire, causing him to miss work the next day.

• You have a dental emergency

If you ever have a toothache or gum problem that prevents you from eating, this is an excellent excuse to get the rest of the day to relax.

• Doctor's appointment

This is one reason that your boss probably won't question. Just make sure you have an appointment scheduled before using this excuse.

• Sick pet

Pets get sick, too, and sometimes they need immediate care from a vet. Just make sure that the pet hasn't already been treated by your veterinarian recently before using this excuse.

• Car trouble

This is another valid reason to miss work without raising suspicion. Make sure that whatever car problem you have wasn't caused by neglect on your part, though.

• You took too much cold medicine

Over-the-counter cold medicine can make some people tired, and if you take too much, it can make it hard to concentrate on your job.

• Coughing

A cough is one of those things that everyone has, so it's not too suspicious when you call off because of it.

• Sleeping in

This only works if you live alone or your roommate is willing to cover for you. Call out as soon as possible and let them know that you just overslept.

• I'm caught in traffic (or my train/bus is delayed)

This is a great excuse for higher-ups who aren't familiar with your commute — if you live in an area without much public transportation.

• You're having a mental breakdown

Mental health is a serious cause to skip work and seek professional help. Your boss will probably wish you all the best while recovering. 

• You've been kidnapped

No one wants to be kidnapped, but you should stay home from work if it happens.

What is a good last-minute excuse?

This is a list of the 20 best reasons you can use the last minute to call off work. These are from personal experiences

1. You have a fever
2. You were up all night drinking or partying
3. Your dog is sick
4. You're hungover (trust me, it works)
5. Your other half is going on a business trip, and you want to spend some time together before they leave
6. You have a flat tire/car trouble 
7. You have food poisoning (This works exceptionally well if you know someone who has had food poisoning recently)
8. You have a migraine/headache that won't disappear (I have used this excuse more than once, and it has worked great!)
9. Your house is flooded/has no power because of a storm (If you live somewhere where this could happen, excellent!)
10. You forgot about a necessary meeting/appointment 
11. My dog has a midlife crisis
12. The universe needs me today.
13. I am allergic to the number 2 pencils in this office.
14. There's a fly in my car, and I can't drive while he's watching me.
15. I have an appointment with a cutie pie at the salon, and it's "no-cancellation-possible" time!
16. There must be something wrong with the car. It just won't move when I put it in DRIVE!
17. Traffic was horrible, and all the roads were closed for repairs, so I decided to go back to bed for another hour and a half.
18. My alarm didn't go off because there was a power outage last night due to a big storm, so I overslept.
19. Sorry, boss, but this morning when I got out of the shower, my hair looked so good that it made me want to skip work – can you believe it? ;)
20. A fire broke out on my block right by my house, and traffic is just too congested right now.

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