The weirdest excuses for being late to work

You've probably been given the "heavy traffic" excuse dozens of times by tardy employees, but how many times have they claimed to be late because they "dreamed" they got fired?

That's just one of the hilarious excuses used by workers who found themselves rushing to get to work on time, according to a new survey by CareerBuilder.

Among the 5,000 HR leaders, hiring managers and employees polled, 23% admitted they arrive late to work at least once a month, and 14% said it is a weekly occurrence for them.

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Of the workers who have admitted to being late, 30% said they have lied about the reason for being unpunctual.

“Perhaps they feel the need to lie because the repercussions of lateness could be serious: 41% of employers have actually fired an employee for being late,” the report stated.

Traffic was the most common cause of tardiness among employees (50%), followed by lack of sleep (30%) and bad weather (26%). Trying to get the kids to school or daycare was a roadblock for 12% of workers, while public transportation and wardrobe issues got in the way of being on time for 7% and 6% of workers, respectively.

For others, the reasons for arriving to work late were a little more... creative. When asked about the most outrageous excuses employees have given them for being late, employers shared the following:

1. I knocked myself out in the shower.

2. I was drunk and forgot which Waffle House I parked my car next to.

3. I discovered my spouse was having an affair, so I followed him this morning to find out who he was having an affair with.

4. Someone robbed the gas station I was at, and I didn’t have enough gas to get to another station.

5. I had to wait for the judge to set my bail.

6. There was a stranger sleeping in my car.

7. A deer herd that was moving through town made me late.

8. I’m not late. I was thinking about work on the way in.

9. I dreamed that I got fired.

10. I went out to my car to drive to work, and the trunk had been stolen out of it.

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