CHICAGO, Jan. 28 (UPI) — Job search site CareerBuilder has compiled a list of some of the strangest excuses that employees have given for showing up late to work — as well as other data gathered in a new survey.
The company surveyed more than 2,500 hiring and human research managers and 3,200 workers across the United States and shared the data in a press release Thursday.
“Getting to work on time is not always an easy task. You never know what will get in the way of your morning routine,” CareerBuilder said. “Instead of blaming tardiness on typical traffic poblems or public transportation woes, some employees are getting more creative with their justifications.”
The bizarre excuses provided by employees range from mundane choices, such as misunderstanding daylight savings time, to more outlandish claims — like cars slipping due to a Vaseline truck spill, a bear napping on the hood of their car, and their blow dryer setting their hair on fire.
Some other choices hint at a general disinterest among employees in coming to work at all, the survey said — such as their intending to quit but changing their mind at the last moment, participating in one store’s grand opening sale, and finishing the 2005 TV sitcom, My Name is Earl.
The survey also found that schedules are veering from the traditional 9-to-5 shift standard and becoming more flexible.
The research also indicated that a majority of employers are placing more emphasis on punctuality. Data showed that 51 percent of employers expected employees to arrive on time every day, and 41 percent fired employees for excessive tardiness.
