US – For just US$24.95 (S$37.92), employees can download a template note from a website which they can use to customise a reason for not turning up for work.

According to Seattle Times, MyExcusedAbsence.com provides a range of excuses that include a medical emergency, a death of a grandparent as well as a routine medical checkup.

However, employers are not entirely in the dark. A survey by CareerBuilder found that one-third of employees have feigned sickness to get out of work. Experts have warned against using fake documentation to further escalate the lie – saying that the company’s confidence in these documentations could be undermined as a result of this.