10 Good Excuses to Not Work Weekends (for a Week or Permanently)

“How do you say no to working on a weekend?”

Many of us work in professions where we are obliged to work on the weekend, and there are some benefits to weekend work such as higher pay, and more freedom from your boss. However, there will be times when we would rather not work weekends and have the weekend free to pursue other interests.

Thus, knowing what are some of the acceptable excuses to use so you can tell your boss you are not able to work on the weekends can be useful.

10 Good Excuses for Not Working on Weekends

There are many good reasons why you might not want to work on the weekend. This includes a family event, religious obligations, volunteer work, having a side hustle, or simply needing to rest.

Although in some professions, working on Saturdays or Sundays is necessary in order to make progress on your projects, oftentimes you may want to tell your boss you do not want to work weekends.

In this article, we listed the best excuses you can use to not work weekends. Understanding how to tell your boss you are not working on weekends professionally can help you to say no, with confidence and courtesy.

1. You’re going to an important family event

Weekends are usually the time when we schedule important family gatherings like weddings, christenings, birthday parties, and anniversary get-togethers. We do this because it means that most of our friends and loved ones will not have work obligations and will be able to attend and share the event with us.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 34% of people work on the weekend.

When you break this figure down further, this includes 58% of people who work more than one job and 31% who are single jobholders. This means that even though the weekend has traditionally been a time of leisure, modern workplace trends mean that a lot of people work on the weekends.

Whether or not your weekend work is a regularly scheduled shift or some overtime thanks to work that was not completed during the week, asking for time off to attend an important family event is perfectly justifiable.

There are plenty of hours in the day to work, but you’ll only get one chance to attend that special occasion.

2. You have a family trip planned

For most permanent types of employment, workers in the United States are entitled to between 10 and 14 days of paid vacation per year. If you want to make memories with your family on trips away from home, you will need to take advantage of the weekends. This is especially true if you have school-aged children.

If your employment requires that you work on the weekend, organizing a spontaneous weekend away might not be possible. But there’s no reason why you cannot ask in advance for a weekend where you’re not rostered on.

3. You are attending a religious event

Many religions have weekly religious events. For example, Jewish people have the Shabbat, the Jewish Day of Rest, which occurs each week from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. Christians, similarly, typically attend church on Sundays.

In the United States, the First Amendment of the Constitution (namely, the Bill of Rights) proclaims that all citizens have the freedom to practice their religion and that there will be no laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. This means that if you’re a devout member of a particular religious faith that has weekend devotion, you have the right to do so without fear of losing your job.

It’s a good idea to discuss this with your employer so that they can arrange alternative working arrangements for you.

4. You can offer a better alternative

There are many reasons why you might just not want to work on the weekend, such as:

• It restricts your socializing
• You need the mental or physical break
• You have another weekend job
• You want to spend the time with your family and friends

In this instance, you can propose a better alternative. For example, you can offer to work when others would rather the time off such as during the school holidays, on public holidays, and days when people would like to be away from work such as New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve.

5. You have a side hustle

A side hustle is any job that you do in addition to your normal or main source of income. According to the United States Census Bureau, around 13 million workers in the United States have more than one job.

Women are also more likely than men to work two jobs and 6.9% of all workers are employed at more than two jobs.

For many of us, a side hustle allows us to:

• Make more money
• Gain more skills and experience
• Pursue a personal passion

If you have the passion, stamina, and ability to have a successful side hustle, having your weekends free to pursue it is a legitimate excuse to avoid weekend work.

6. You are studying

According to the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, approximately 44% of people in postsecondary education are adults over the age of 24. This means that many people who are working full time are also studying.

Adults with postsecondary qualifications will earn significantly more than those with only high school education, so it is a recognized pathway to a more comfortable life with a stable income.

If you do work full time or have family obligations and work part-time, you can only study in the evening and on weekends.

7. You do volunteer work

Each year the US Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its data on volunteering in the United States. Between 2014 and 2015, about 62.6 million people volunteered through an official organization, and many more did so privately.

There are many reasons why people volunteer, including:

• It has a positive impact on your physical and mental health
• It makes you more employable
• You have the opportunity to develop networking opportunities
• You learn new skills
• Yor provide a service or goods to the community

Women volunteered more than men (28.3% compared to 21.8%), as measured across demographics including age, education level, and ethnicity. A total of 27.2% of working people volunteered, compared to just 21.4% of unemployed people.

This means that a significant proportion of the volunteer labor force comes from people who are already occupied with paid labor elsewhere. They need the weekend so that they can complete their volunteering obligations.

8. You are needed for babysitting

We all live busy lives and we know that there will be times when we are called on to help out to babysit for a week, a weekend, or even half a day.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re needed to babysit your grandchildren, godchildren, or your best friend’s fur babies, lending a hand when it’s needed is a fundamental part of living in a caring society and being a good friend.

9. Your sporting team is playing in the finals

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity improves your brain health, helps you to maintain a healthy weight, and reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers.

A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that in 2015, approximately 25% of adults regularly played sports. The five most popular were: golf, basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, and running.

If you’re lucky or skilled enough to have made it to the finals, there’s no reason why you should have to miss out because of work.

10. You’re burnt out

In the past 10 years, both employees and employers have recognized the importance of fostering a work-life balance. This means there needs to be a fair balance between times where you work, rest, and do what makes you happy.

Working too much will cause you to burn out, which will be detrimental to your productivity and mental health. It is not unreasonable to expect a weekend rest after a hard week’s work.

When you see any warning signs of feeling burnout at work, you should ask to take your weekend off work.

What’s a Good Excuse To Tell Your Boss You Are Not Working Weekends?

A good excuse to tell your boss not to work on the weekends is an excuse that is socially acceptable and relatable.

A good excuse should be true and should not be a fake obligation or illness created for you to get out of work. Because when you get out of working on the weekends, someone else will take your place.

Be considerate. Be professional.

Regardless, if you want to tell your boss you don’t want to work on the weekends, you should be honest and genuine, oftentimes your boss will not force you to come to work as it will be bad for the team’s morale and productivity.

Why People Don’t Like To Work on Weekends?

People don’t like to work on weekends because many believe that working on the weekends is bad for your productivity and you should use your weekends to relax and recharge instead of working.

While being hardworking is great, but overworking yourself can lead to health and mental issues which can have a lasting impact to both your professional and personal life.

How to Tell Your Boss Politely You Are Not Working on Weekends?

The best way to tell your boss that you are not working on weekends is by being professional about it:

• Have a good reasons why you cannot work on the weekends, be honest about it and the reason must be valid.
• If you are to find a replacement yourself, communicated with your peers early and arranged with your peers on the new arrangement. Offering an exchange on the weekend duties.
• If your boss is the one that helps you find a replacement for the weekend duties. Inform your boss early that you will not be available for work during the weekends.
• Be apologetic about the change in arrangement as this change will have inconvenienced your boss and coworkers.
• Be willing to accept alternative arrangement if required such as working at flexible hours, or other days where your coworkers are unavailable.

The key is to be polite and profession, and if your boss keeps demanding you to work on the weekends, but you are unable. Make decision to get another job and find a new position.

Set clear boundaries on what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

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