Late for Work: Plausible, Iffy and Hilarious Excuses

A Resume Builder survey revealed that by the end of 2024, 90% of employers will have some type of return-to-office requirement. This inevitably means some employees will arrive late for work.

It also means employees will be giving inventive reasons why they’re late for work. The most recent research on the topic appears to be from construction workforce management software company Workyard.

Conventional Excuses for Being Late for Work

The most common reasons people are late for work, according to the survey:

• Traffic and transportation issues, cited by 25% of respondents
• Personal problems (18%)
• Oversleeping, a broad category that also includes being too tired and procrastination (15%)
• Health issues, including illness and doctor and dentist appointments (12%)
• Child-related issues, including dropping off a child at school and dealing with a sick pet (12%)
• Family issues, such as a death in the family (7%)
• Lost items, including misplacing car keys, wallets or phones (6%), and
• Home-related issues, such as a pet running away or water pipes bursting (5%).

Wait, You Showed up Late Why?

The Workyard survey also uncovered some pretty funny excuses why people are late for work. The top-three most absurd are:

• My pet goldfish was feeling unwell and I had to take it to the vet
• I was stuck in a time warp, and
• I was busy playing a game of hide-and-seek with my neighbor.

While these excuses may have been fabricated — especially the time warp one — they’re an entertaining glimpse into the creative minds of employees who are late for work.

Possible Solutions

While HR pros would be wise to maintain a sense of humor when dealing with tardiness tall tales, chronic lateness can become a costly productivity problem in any industry. Some actionable steps to keep it from getting out of hand include:

• Implement an attendance policy. It should outline expectations for punctuality, define what constitutes tardiness and specify disciplinary actions for repeated violations. Don’t forget to document excused and unexcused lateness and any manager warnings.
• Talk to employees after late arrivals. Give them a chance to explain what happened, and then explain the impact it could have on their team and the business. Spell out what the penalties are for excessive tardiness, and be sure the employee understands.
• Use time-tracking software. An employee time-tracking system that accurately monitors arrivals and departures provides indisputable data on tardiness patterns and makes it easier to identify repeat offenders.

Note that employees who are late for work because of medical conditions may be covered under the FMLA or the ADA.