Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

The Excuses People Use To Get Out Of Work That No One Can Get Mad At

People working at a desk by the window.
person sitting beside table
Photo by Ant Rozetsky on Unsplash

Reddit user Just-Stay-386 asked: 'What’s an excuse to get out of work that no one can get mad at?'

Nothing will get you in more hot water with your boss than coming up with a lame excuse as to why you didn't show up for work.

Especially if that excuse doesn't even turn out to be true.

Of course, life can be unpredictable, and sometimes what you're telling your boss might very well be nothing but the truth.

You just might need some evidence to back it up.

However, there are some excuses that might be one hundred percent foolproof for getting out of work without any resistance from your boss or colleagues.

No matter who you are, or who you work for.


Redditor Just-Stay-386 was eager to hear the excuses that will always successfully get you out of work, leading them to ask:
"What’s an excuse to get out of work that no one can get mad at?"

Any Excuse Is Better Than None

"As a manager as long as you let me know that you aren’t going to be able to work then we’re good."

"If you just don’t show up that’s a different story."- LF_redit

If You Say So Ok GIF by The GrinchGiphy

Say It, Don't Spray It...

"I got sprayed by a skunk."

"I tried to go to work after showering with Dawn dish soap but my boss told me to go home."

"So I’d say getting sprayed by a skunk."- Sunshine95454

Ultimately, Not A Pleasant Experience For Anyone...

"I worked construction, and two separate instances on two different crews, someone said they sh*t their pants."

"Nobody questioned it and they left."

"I do believe they did sh*t their pants tho so you have to commit."- allornothing26

"'I sh*t my pants'."

"Absolutely, 100%, understand."

"See you tomorrow."- Abadatha

year january GIFGiphy

Apparently Anything Regarding The Rear End...

“'Butthole is bleeding I can’t make it in'.”

"Not a single person will want to ask questions."

"You’re welcome."- Psychologystudent28

Oddly Impressive In This Day And Age... (Assuming It's True...)

"I called in to work and said I had scurvy."

"A couple hours later an FTD florist delivered a bonzi lemon tree from my boss."- HawkMisfit

Not So Much The What, But The When...

"The excuse doesn't matter it's the frequency."

'You need to be excused a couple of times a year?"

'No big deal."

'You're out every other week?"

'That's an issue."- Im_probably_naked

Netflix Seriously GIF by Stranger ThingsGiphy

Or Better Yet, To A Hosptial!

"Me: hey I think I need to head home."

"Boss: Why’s that?

"Me: I think I broke my arm."

"I’m standing in front of my bosses desk with my arm turned completely backwards from the elbow down, was in total shock."- ssandhanitizer

Good Thing They Remembered To Call...

"Last time I called into work, it was a quick call."

“'Can’t make it in. Hit my head. Blood everywhere. Ambulance is on the way'.”

"That one worked pretty well."- bioVOLTAGE

Speechless Isn't Always Good...

"Guy at work phoned in to tell our boss he couldn’t make it in because he didn’t have no clean socks."

"Boss was speechless."- Tankclark1

Nbc GIF by The VoiceGiphy

If Only For Plumbing Issues...

"Diarrhea?"- menki_22

"I used to have a sh*tty office job."

"I once had severe diarrhea and my boss tried to get me to work from the bathroom, at the office."- adventurousorca

In a Post Pandemic World...

“'I’m sick'.”

"You don’t need more detail than that."- too_sexy_for_reddit

"Where I'm at Covid is still a mandatory out until a negative test."-azorianmilk

Test Virus GIF by Magician EdzusGiphy

You Can't Make This Stuff Up...

"Worked on a construction crew at one time with this one colorful character that just couldn't get out of bed and to work on time, but could do the work of two when he was on the job."

"He always had the most entertaining excuses for missing work that no one could be mad at him."

"'Ran over a rabbit and had to return home to put it in the freezer'." "

"'Scored some weed that was so good I forgot what day it was'."

"And the coup de grace...'Woke up with my face in my girlfriend's armpit and was afraid to open my eyes'."- eron6000ad

Family First

"Something wrong with your kid."

"I've honestly thought about making up a kid just so I have an airtight excuse to cut out as often as my parent coworkers do."- Yak-F**ker-5000

In truth, pretty much any excuse could probably work

What's more important, is an air-tight alibi...

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Miriam Margolyes
David Levenson/Getty Images

'Harry Potter' Star Miriam Margolyes Offers Mic Drop Explanation For Why Respecting Pronouns Matters

Sometimes it is just that easy to make people happy. This is a lesson learned over and over in our lives, but that's because it's an important one.

Actor Miriam Margolyes shared how she learned to change her behavior to make others happier. Margolyes appeared on The Graham Norton Show recently and brought up a fairly polarizing subject in the United Kingdom: trans people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk looks on during a public appearance, as the billionaire once again turns a newsroom style decision into a culture-war grievance broadcast to millions on X.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk Cries Racism After Associated Press Explains Why They Capitalize 'Black' But Not 'White'

Elon Musk has spent the year picking fights, from health research funding to imagined productivity crises among federal workers and whether DOGE accomplished anything at all besides leaving chaos in its wake.

His latest grievance, however, is thinly disguised as grammatical. Specifically, he is once again furious that the Associated Press (AP) capitalizes “Black” while keeping “white” lowercase.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk; Yale University School of Engineering and Applied Science
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images; Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Elon Musk Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Claiming That Yale's Lack Of Republican Faculty Is 'Outrageous Bigotry'

Elon Musk—who has repeatedly whined about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—took to his social media platform to whine about a lack of conservative faculty at Yale University.

Musk shared data compiled by The Buckley Institute (TBI), a conservative-leaning organization founded at Yale in 2010. TBI found 82.3% of faculty self-identified as Democrats or primarily supporting Democratic candidates, 15% identified as independents, while only 2.3% identified as Republicans.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barry Manilow
Mat Hayward/Getty Images

Barry Manilow Speaks Out After Postponing Farewell Tour Dates Due To Lung Cancer Scare

"Looks Like We Made It" singer Barry Manilow is in the process of saying goodbye to the stage and meeting his fans in-person, but he has to press pause for a few months after receiving a jarring diagnosis.

On December 22, 2025, the "Mandy" singer posted on Facebook, explaining that a "cancerous spot" had been discovered on his left lung.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, the last time audiences saw Captain America before his unexpected return was teased for Avengers: Doomsday.
Disney/Marvel Studios

Marvel Just Confirmed That Chris Evans Is Returning For 'Avengers: Doomsday'—And Fans Have Mixed Feelings

Folks, once again, continuity is more of a suggestion than a rule in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel has officially confirmed that Chris Evans is returning as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, and the internet has responded exactly how you’d expect: screaming, celebrating, arguing, and a very justified side-eye toward how Sam Wilson keeps getting treated.

The confirmation comes via a teaser now playing exclusively in theaters ahead of Avatar: Fire and Ash. There is no official online release, despite leaks circulating. If you didn’t catch it on the big screen, Marvel’s response is essentially: sorry, guess you had to be there.

Keep ReadingShow less