Everyone has been late to work at least once in their life, but what are the top excuses for this common phenomenon?
A recent survey by WorkYard, which provides workforce management solutions to construction, service, and property maintenance companies, has uncovered the top reasons for tardiness.
From traffic snarls to playing hide and seek, the survey discovered the most common and absurd reasons for being late to work.
- Traffic and transportation issues topped the list making up 25% of responses.
- Oversleeping, including being too tired and procrastination made up 15%.
- Health issues, such as feeling sick or having a dentist appointment and child-related issues like dropping off a child at school or dealing with a sick pet, contributed to the 12% of responses each.
- Lost items, including misplacing car keys or wallets made up 6% , while home-related issues, such as a pet running away or water pipes bursting, made up 5% of responses.
- Family emergencies, such as a death in the family made up 7%, while personal problems with 18% tied for second place.
“As the survey results show, the top excuses of being late to work are mainly the ones that people don’t have control over. As an employer, you probably can’t tell anything when your employee is late to work because of a family issue or traffic,” said WorkYard spokesperson Nic De Bonis.
"Anyways, the current economic uncertainty and fear of recession has led employers to place increased importance on employee punctuality. To maintain efficiency and competitiveness, many employers are implementing modern time tracking tools to monitor employees' hours and spot any lateness issues," he added.
The survey also uncovered some quirky and unusual excuses.
- My pet goldfish was feeling unwell, and I had to take it to the vet.
- I was stuck in a time warp.
- I was busy playing a game of hide and seek with my neighbour.