I got a press release from a temp agency listing some results from a rather hilarious study on reasons why people requested days off from work. It was conducted by an independent research firm and features responses from 150 executives from the 1,000 biggest companies in the U.S. The question: "What are the most unusual reasons you have heard for why employees request time off?"
Here's what they found (with additional commentary by T-Bone):
1. "I need time to find myself." Look in a mirror.
2. "I need a day off because it's supposed to snow." It is getting deep in here.
3. "My cat has hairballs." You should have it neutered ASAP.
4. "The pool is broken." So is your boss' confidence in you.
5. "I have plastic surgery scheduled." A Tupperware® party does not qualify as plastic surgery.
6. "I'm going to jail." I've had jobs that felt like I was in a jail.
7. "My garage door is broken." Your elevator doesn't go all the way to the top, either.
8. "I need three weeks off to travel Europe. Starting tomorrow." Please bring me back some cheese. I hear European cheese is da bomb.
9. "I'm taking three days off to sing in the opera!" I hope it's in a foreign language; I've heard you sing in English and you suck.
10. "I'm going to be in a kick-boxing contest." Please don't hurt me.
11. "Our church is having a bus trip." You'd better pray for a new job.
12. "My partner and I need to practice for the square-dancing contest in town today." Want to borrow my clogs?
13. "I'm taking a few days off to start my own business." You'll be taking off more than a few days, bucko!
14. "I'll be out this afternoon on job interviews." And collecting unemployment, Einstein.
15. "I need a leave of absence to try another job. But if it doesn't work out I'd like to come back." You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need. And you'd better look elsewhere.
I hope none of these sound familiar to you. Happy workday, fellow slaves of capitalism and the free-market economy.
Yeah, I've been feeling like a slave lately. A slave that spends way too much work time reading blogs. Yikes.
LOL!
Happy Friday to you!
hey, they actually used a couple of mine in that study! My pool and garage door really were broken...got my ass kicked in the kick-boxing tournament though.
You know, you have to wonder if any of these people have brains... and if they actually use them!!
I feel very fortunate. I work for a non-profit agency and really like my job. I get to do all sorts of creative things and I am appreciated in a way I wouldn't be in a for-profit company (been there). Since I'm part-time, I don't get full benefits, but I DO get very generous vacation time. This is one job I really want to KEEP!
Yeah, I've been hating my job lately. But I got paid yesterday, and that kind of softened the blow. I'm still in that happy one day when my bank account still looks good, before all of the bill checks go through and I'm left with nothing again!
Yeah, I took off work for a kickboxing tournament once- when I was in retail! They wouldn't give you a Saturday off, EVER. No matter how much notice you gave. I didn't SAY it was for that, though- jeez! On the flip side of that, though, I had to be talked down from coming in to work the day after I had surgery. That was for a different job. Honestly, I have work ethic in some situations!
Ohh, even funnier- I used to work in a fast food joint in highschool, and I called in sick so I could go to a ballgame (I know that sucks, it was a long time ago...) So this snotty manager told me I'd better have a doctor's note when I came back! Hah- I brought him a note from my Dad saying I had a toothache! You should have seen his face! *snicker*
I've gotten a few doozey excuses here at work....
"Locked in their apartment and waiting for a locksmith." (this actually happened to me once, about 5 years ago - but it was a gorgeous Saturday in June... but that's another story.)
Another took the day off to "go sky diving in Maryland." The entire day I prayed they'd land and be back in the next day.
"Car won't start." - not much of an excuse with the public transportation in DC.
"Taking a mental day." - I've gotten that one a few times.
I hope oyu're having a great week. I've been crazed here at the office so I haven't visited in a while.
Hope the new job is treating you well T!