Best, worst excuses for missing work

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It’s the day after the Super Bowl and a lot you are thinking about making that call to work.

You know the one, where you cough a little bit and say you’re too sick to come in.

It’s estimated about 16 million people miss work or school on the Monday after the big game.

Some may actually be sick. Tthe majority – probably not.

That got me thinking, what are the craziest reasons people have used for skipping work.

Luckily, Career Builder asked employers and managers this very question and some of the best (or worst) responses are in today’s “Lauren’s List.

1. Flat Tire – One employer surveyed says an employee once called out of work claiming the ozone in the air flattened his tires so he couldn’t drive there. Here’s where Uber or Lyft would come in handy!

2. Hair Trouble – Another manager says a direct report blew off work because her roots were showing and she had to keep her hair appointment.

3. Spider Stress – One employee ditched work because they found a spider in their home and told their boss they were experiencing traumatic stress as a result.

4. Honest Answer – Finally, honesty is the best policy, right? So why not just say you have better things to do? At least one employer told CareerBuilder a staffer skipped work for precisely that reason and wasn’t afraid to admit it.

5. Employee’s pressure cooker had exploded and scared her sister, so she had to stay home.

6. Employee had to attend the funeral of his wife’s cousin’s pet because he was an uncle and pallbearer.

7. Employee was blocked in by police raiding her home.

8. Employee had to testify against a drug dealer and the dealer’s friend mugged him.

9. Employee ate cat food instead of tuna and was deathly ill.

10. Employee said she wasn’t sick but her llama was.

11. Employee had used a hair remover under her arms and had chemical burns as a result. She couldn’t put her arms down by her sides due to that.

12. Employee was bowling the game of his life and couldn’t make it to work.

13. Employee was experiencing traumatic stress from a large spider found in her home. She had to stay home to deal with the spider.

14. Employee said he had better things to do.

15. Employee ate too much birthday cake.

16. Employee was bit by a duck.