How To Get Out Of Work For A Day

Getting out of bed and going to work is never "easy." Whatever that means. Between contemplating life's purpose to mindlessly scrolling TikTok with one eye shut because it just refuses to open, why would you ever want to leave? Even if you love your job more than anything, you'd probs still choose your sweet, sweet relaxation over back-to-back Zoom meetings.

If you're down to tell a small white lie believable enough to get you a lil weekday chill day, I've got you covered! It just takes a faux tailbone injury, a court hearing, some stitches opening up, a broken engagement, or being stuck in a ditch to do the trick.

Before you start feeling guilty, I'm also here to remind you that if your employer gives you PTO days, take! them! Ditch that grind-until-you-die attitude that's been drilled into our heads since we were bbs. But yeah, you still might need an excuse.

So, without further ado, below are very convincing stories that'll easily snag you that get-out-of-work card. To all the bosses out there: I did nothing! (Please don't come for me.)

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"I have to go to court."

"It was summer and I wanted to go to the beach during the week since it's always crowded on weekends. I told my boss that I had to go court for a speeding ticket or I would get a warrant out for my arrest." —Maria, 23

"My stitches opened up."

"I told my boss on a 98-degree day that my stitches opened up. I went to the beach instead." —Jazz, 25

"I qualified for the state track championship."

"In high school, I told my boss I qualified for the state track championship, which meant I couldn't come in AT ALL during the weekend to help restock. He was confused because I'd never once mentioned my elite running skills, but he let it slide. Fun facts: I didn't qualify for state. Or participate in track. I could barely run a mile!" —Abby, 27

"My apartment is flooding."

"I actually made it all the way into the office but was just really not feeling it that day. So, I texted my boyfriend to call me and he pretended he was our super. I told him that I needed to go home because a pipe burst in our apartment and I needed to be there to deal without stuff." —Emily , 28

"I have to study for a midterm."

"In college, I emailed my boss saying I couldn't make it to work because I had to study for a midterm. I played hooky to stay a night on the beach in Ventura, California." —Quincie, 23

"I broke my tailbone."

"The night before the final episode of Game of Thrones aired, I called in and told my manager that I fell in the bathroom and injured my coccyx (it's your tailbone). My boss was so concerned, she let me stay home for three days. I had enough time to watch my show and emotionally process it before going back to work." —Malavika, 22

"I just got a root canal."

"I texted my boss that I had to have an emergency root canal the day before and wasn't allowed to talk for two days! It worked!" —Pramita, 22

"I fell..."

"I trip over nothing three times a day at work, so my boss knows I'm very accident-prone. So my go-to is always telling my manager that I fell and need to recover at home. One time I said that I fainted outside a train station, another time I fell down the stairs while trying to rush. At this point, my boss is pretty used to it." —Anwesha, 23

"I have to help my sister move dorms."

"One weekend I was scheduled to work but my boyfriend wanted to come visit me for the weekend. I called my boss and told him that I had to help my little sister, who's in college, move into a different dorm last-minute. He thought it was nice that I was helping her, so he gave me the weekend off." —Yasasvi, 22

"I skipped my allergy pill and rubbed my face all over my dog."

"Years ago, I had a job interview and wanted to take a sick day instead of a vacation day. The day before my interview, I skipped my allergy pill and rubbed my face all over my dog, knowing it would give me a terrible allergy attack. I spent all day at work pretending my allergy attack was an oncoming cold so no one would question my sick day!" —Mandy, 29

"I have hardcore bathroom issues."

"I'm a huge fan of the explosive diarrhea excuse. Just say, 'I have a stomach bug' or, 'I have food poisoning,' and let their imaginations run wild." —Roman, 29

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"I'm stuck in a ditch."

"In Buffalo, we use the line, 'I'm stuck in a ditch,' and nobody ever questions it. There are lots of ditches for water runoff, lots of snow, and lots of ice on the roads. If you haven't gotten stuck in a ditch, you're probably a shut-in!" —Shayna, 21

"I've been up all night with a stomach bug!"

"Here's what you gotta do: Write and schedule an e-mail to go to your manager in the middle of the night, like somewhere in the 2:30 to 5 a.m. window that says, 'Hey, I've been up all night with a bad stomach bug. I'm hoping this resolves quickly but I might need to call in sick tomorrow.' Then, send another e-mail before work that says, 'I'm still not better, I'll be out today.'" —Caitlin, 25

"My bathtub fell through my ceiling."

"I decided to take a girls' trip to Vegas for my BFF's bachelorette party and told my boss that my bathtub fell through my ceiling and I would be out for three days because of the repairs. He totally bought it!" —Molly, 35

"My fiancé called off our engagement."

"I wanted to help my little sister move into her college dorm her freshman year; however, it required me taking off a Friday and I had already used all of my vacation days. I called my boss the night before and told her that my fiancé and I called off our engagement and that I needed a day off. She felt so bad about it and told me to take as much time as I needed to mourn the loss of my relationship. I had to pretend three weeks later that we got back together and we were happily engaged again. My fiancé wasn't too pleased about it!" —Karen, 30

"My cat got stuck on the side of the bathtub."

"One time I told my boss that I would be late to work because my cat got stuck in the side of the bathtub and I needed to wait for the fire department to get him out—this story really did happen, but a few days earlier." —Leah, 20

"It's my half-sister's grandma's birthday."

"I wasn't in the mood to go to work because it was such a beautiful day. So instead, I went to the Hamptons to start a long weekend and told my boss that it was my half-sister's grandma's birthday and that I would be out for the day." —Ally, 27

"My cat is having kittens!"

"I skipped work because my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to see Beyoncé and Jay Z one summer. I ended up telling my boss that my cat was having her kittens, and I needed to be there for emotional support." —Kayla, 21

"I stubbed my toe really badly."

"I was already running super late to work and didn't really feel like showing up. I decided to call up my boss and tell her that I stubbed my toe really badly and that it was swelling up. I'm a waitress so I have to be on my feet all day. I added that I didn't want to risk dropping any plates on customers, which totally helped me get out of work." —Anna, 19

Megan Uy Assistant Shopping Editor Megan is the Assistant Shopping Editor at Cosmo where she covers all things shopping within the fashion and lifestyle space.

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