Bosses were hearing excuses for being late to work less often last year than they did the previous year, according to an online survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com.
According to the poll of 5,231 U.S. employees, conducted in November 2009, 16 per cent of respondents said they arrive late to work at least once a week. That’s a drop from 20 per cent a year earlier. Common reasons for workplace tardiness included traffic (cited by 32 per cent of respondents), lack of sleep (24 per cent), bad weather (seven per cent) and preparing kids for school or day care (seven per cent).
In addition, CareerBuilder asked hiring managers and human resources professionals to give examples of outrageous excuses for being late. Among the more unusual ones were these:
• I got mugged and was tied to the steering wheel of my car.
• My deodorant was frozen to the window sill.
• My car door fell off.
• It was too windy.
• I dreamt I was already at work.
• A roach crawled in my ear.
• I had to go to the hospital because I drank antifreeze.
• I had an early-morning gig as a clown.
• I saw an elderly lady at a bus stop and decided to pick her up.
• My dog swallowed my cell phone.