11 Best Excuses to Get Out of Work in Advance (Short Notice)

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No matter how diligent, honest, and hard-working we are, there will be circumstances when we need to take some time off work. Depending on the situation, we may even know in advance when that might be. Having an excuse ready is a great way to be prepared for when the situation might arise. 

There are many reasons why you might want to get out of work in advance. They include attending a funeral, taking part in a happy celebration, managing tradespeople in the home, having a medical appointment, and attending jury duty.

Let’ take a look at what are some of the acceptable excuses to use to call off work on short notice or in advance.

How To Call Off Work And Take a Day Off in Advance

Missing work is not encouraged, however, if you have a legitimate reason to get out of work in advance, your best chance for success is to follow these guidelines.

1. Be completely honest

Most people need to request time off work in advance for legitimate reasons and we discuss many of these in the remainder of this article. The best option is to stick to the truth and you should be granted your request. 

2. Think of others

In a number of instances, you cannot control when you might need to request time off work. If possible, however, try to avoid making your request during your workplace’s busiest time of year. This could be the End of the Financial Year, Christmas, school holidays, or when the office is already short-staffed.

The more considerate you are of your colleagues, the more likely you will be successful in this request and those you might want to make in the future.

3. Don’t go into too much detail

While you want to be truthful about why you need time off in advance, you don’t need to elaborate. Not only could it seem like you’re not being truthful, but you have the right to an appropriate level of privacy.

4. Make your request as early as possible

Make your request for time off as early as you can. This gives your colleagues time to make alternative arrangements and you are more likely to be successful.

5. Come prepared

If you have documentation to support your request, make sure you have it ready. This could be a death certificate, promotional flyer, or car damage report.

6. Check with others

Even if you have approval, it’s a good idea to check that your colleagues are aware of your time off.

Valid Excuse to Miss Work the Next Day

A valid excuse to miss work are excuses that called into the category of “bulletproof excuses”, these are reasons that are not in your control, and are valid reasons which most people will need take the day off to settle something much more important than work.

1. The death of a loved one

The most common excuse for requesting time off in advance is to attend a funeral. Any manager who refused to grant a few days off to attend a funeral and take time to grieve would have to be particularly heartless.

The most important thing is to have any paperwork ready if your workplace requires it. It is also a good idea to let your company know as soon as possible so that they can organize to cover your absence or find a replacement.

2. Participating in civic life

Jury duty is a necessary part of living in a democratic society that boasts a healthy judicial system. In many parts of the world, including the United States, citizens who have been charged with a crime have the right to be judged by a jury of their peers.  

Every year, around 32 million Americans are summoned to sit on a jury. If you can afford the time off work, it’s a great way to participate in civic life. You might even have the luck to find yourself sitting in on an interesting case.

So, when the summons for jury duty arrives in the mail, ask for the time of work and appreciate the opportunity.

3. A happy arrival

If you’re lucky enough to have a new member of the family come into the world, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take some time off work to visit them and spend some quality time with your loved ones.

Taking several days off is a great idea because it means that you can savor the quality time that you won’t ever have the chance to experience again.

Good Excuse to Get out of Work in Advance

Best excuses to miss work comes hand in hand with you giving advance notice and having things all setup, the work arrangement done, and leaving no urgent matters to be solved before you take time off from work.

1. Scheduled medical care

We all must attend the doctor at some point or another throughout our lives. Some of us are luckier than others and it is a rare event. For others, however, regular medical care is the norm.

Often, we have scheduled medical appointments to attend and must undergo medical treatments that might require a day or more off work.

If you take more than a few days off work for a medical issue, most employers will want to see a medical certificate. And although there are no federal laws in the United States that guarantee paid sick leave for full-time permanent employees, if your workplace is subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), you can acquire up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for some medical situations.

2. Moving house

We have all had to move house at least once in our lives. While moving to a new place can be exciting and fun, few would say that the actual process of moving is enjoyable. There’s no doubt that for many of us, the process can be a physical challenge and emotionally draining.

Because of these mental and physical trials, there’s no reason why you can’t take a week off work to make your moving process as smooth, stress free, and calm as possible. 

3. A family-friendly holiday

For many people, asking for time off from work in advance for a vacation is a risky move, especially if such breaks from work are not guaranteed in your work contract. However, taking a break from work is a fundamental part of a healthy work-life balance and general overall health.

And, thanks to recent research published in the Harvard Business Review, you can even tell your boss that taking a vacation will help you be more productive at work because you will be rejuvenated and be back at work with a clear mind and relaxed attitude. You might even call it a perfect win-win situation!

The best part about asking for time off work for a vacation is that you can do it many months and even over a year in advance. Not only does this give your work time to plan around your absence, but you are more likely to get approved this time and in the future.

4. It’s the school holidays

Every parent knows the challenges of finding someone to look after their children when they are away from school. If you don’t have a partner or spouse who can take time off work, the responsibility will fall to you.

There is good and bad news:

The bad news

There will probably be many parents in the same predicament in your workplace and you might have stiff competition for getting the time off work.

The good news

You know when school holidays will happen and you can ask for time off many months in advance.

It’s also a good idea to make an offer of goodwill when you ask for the time off. You could agree to work over other popular holidays or stay back lake to make up for the lost time.

5. You have tradespeople at home

Sure, we can easily let tradespeople into the house to do their work and then leave them to it. However, you can never be sure that they are doing the job quite to your expectations. Not only can a poor job leave you with unsatisfactory work, but you might be out of pocket if you must get someone else to come and fix any problems.

Time off from work will allow you to manage the situation at home, without having to be distracted and worried at work.

Believable Excuses to Call Out of Work Last Minute

While it is okay to miss work every once a while, using these excuse to miss work too often could get you fired. However, if you really need to miss work because of your personal reasons, then there is not much choice isn’t it?

1. Your car needs a service

According to Brookings research, over 76% of Americans drive to work every day. This means that for most people, getting their car serviced means that they will not be able to go to work the way they normally do.

For some, they will be able to use mass transit or take a taxi or ride-share company. However, for others, they will have to miss work.

Just make sure that you give your company as much time as possible to make alternative arrangements.

2. Your kids are sick

Taking care of your kids is hard enough, having your kids fall sick can be tough for parents. Having to take care of sick kids is a good excuse for missing work, or if you choose to, ask for work from home arrangements.

Most bosses are parents too, they know how bad it is to call off work to take care of your little ones.

Just don’t use this excuse too often, as this can really impact the operation of your team.

3. ‘Something came up…’

Can’t think of a reason? Your reason to miss work can be as simple as “Something came up…”.

If your reason for needing time off from work in advance does not fall into one of the categories already mentioned, you may still be successful in your leave request with an reason as vague as this.

Depending on where you work, you might not need to have an excuse to get out of work, no matter how many days you want off.

However, sometimes, the excuse of ‘something came up’ is perfectly valid as your boss may not want to pry into your private lives.

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