A nationwide study reveals the most outrageous excuses employees gave for showing up late. A revengeful roommate, a phone call from the governor and a kleptomaniac fox are just a few of the ridiculous stories (some true) that workers told their bosses last year.
According to the 3,000 hiring managers surveyed in Career Builder's study, the most outrageous excuses that employees gave for being late were:
"My cat had the hiccups."
"I thought I had won the lottery." (She didn't.)
"I got distracted watching the TODAY Show."
"My angry roommate cut the cord to my phone charger, so it didn't charge and my alarm failed to go off."
"I thought my commute time counted toward my work hours."
"A fox stole my car keys."
"My leg was trapped between the subway car and the platform." (This turned out to be true.)
"I had no intention of getting to work before 9:00 a.m." (His start time was 8:00 a.m.)
"I was late because of a job interview with another firm."
"I had to take a personal call from the state governor." (This actually turned out to be true.)
It may seem like your boss turns a blind eye when you are running late, but in fact, tardiness has serious consequences. Over one-third (34%) of employers said they have terminated an employee for being late to work.
In the case of an interview, tardiness might lose you the job. If you find yourself in this difficult situation, here are ways you might be able to save the situation.
Contact the hiring manager - As soon as you know you're running late, call immediately. Letting the hiring manager or HR department know that you are not going to be on time allows them to either reschedule or move other things around so that they have ample time to interview you once you arrive. If you know that you will be tardy over 15 minutes, offer to reschedule to a different time or day.
Briefly explain your situation – Mention why you are running late, but exclude extensive details or elaborate stories. Stay calm and collected while explaining the situation, making sure to focus on being proactive and moving forward. Even though your actions haven't conveyed that you know their time is valuable, you can limit further damage by getting to the point and moving to the actual interview.
Acknowledge the mistake – When you finally get to the interview, offer a sincere apology and let the person interviewing you know that you understand the repercussions of your mistake. An easy way to do this is by saying "I'm usually a very prompt person, but I understand that this is a mark against me. However, I'd love the chance to still be considered for this position."
Sincerely follow up – You should always send a thank you card after an interview that runs damage control on any red flags that came up in the interview. This is an excellent opportunity for you to thank the person for their valuable time and show that you are taking the opportunity seriously.
According to the 3,000 hiring managers surveyed in Career Builder's study, the most outrageous excuses that employees gave for being late were:
"My cat had the hiccups."
"I thought I had won the lottery." (She didn't.)
"I got distracted watching the TODAY Show."
"My angry roommate cut the cord to my phone charger, so it didn't charge and my alarm failed to go off."
"I thought my commute time counted toward my work hours."
"A fox stole my car keys."
"My leg was trapped between the subway car and the platform." (This turned out to be true.)
"I had no intention of getting to work before 9:00 a.m." (His start time was 8:00 a.m.)
"I was late because of a job interview with another firm."
"I had to take a personal call from the state governor." (This actually turned out to be true.)
It may seem like your boss turns a blind eye when you are running late, but in fact, tardiness has serious consequences. Over one-third (34%) of employers said they have terminated an employee for being late to work.
In the case of an interview, tardiness might lose you the job. If you find yourself in this difficult situation, here are ways you might be able to save the situation.
Contact the hiring manager - As soon as you know you're running late, call immediately. Letting the hiring manager or HR department know that you are not going to be on time allows them to either reschedule or move other things around so that they have ample time to interview you once you arrive. If you know that you will be tardy over 15 minutes, offer to reschedule to a different time or day.
Briefly explain your situation – Mention why you are running late, but exclude extensive details or elaborate stories. Stay calm and collected while explaining the situation, making sure to focus on being proactive and moving forward. Even though your actions haven't conveyed that you know their time is valuable, you can limit further damage by getting to the point and moving to the actual interview.
Acknowledge the mistake – When you finally get to the interview, offer a sincere apology and let the person interviewing you know that you understand the repercussions of your mistake. An easy way to do this is by saying "I'm usually a very prompt person, but I understand that this is a mark against me. However, I'd love the chance to still be considered for this position."
Sincerely follow up – You should always send a thank you card after an interview that runs damage control on any red flags that came up in the interview. This is an excellent opportunity for you to thank the person for their valuable time and show that you are taking the opportunity seriously.
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