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Most unbelievable excuses for calling in sick -- list via CareerBuilder

Posted at 9:53 AM, Oct 23, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-23 19:22:06-04

What's the best excuse, or the worst excuse, you've used to call in sick?

A new survey from CareerBuilder shows 28 percent of employees have called in sick when they weren't.

When asked why -- 30 percent said they just didn't feel like going in to work, 29 percent said they wanted the day to relax, 21 percent said they had a doctor's appointment and 19 percent wanted to catch up on sleep.

So what are the most unbelievable excuses for calling in sick?

Drumroll, please.

1. Employee just put a casserole in the oven.

2. Employee's plastic surgery for enhancement purposes needed some "tweaking" to get it just right.

3. Employee was sitting in the bathroom and her feet and legs fell asleep. When she stood, up she fell and broke her ankle.

4. Employee had been at the casino all weekend and still had money left to play with on Monday morning.

5. Employee woke up in a good mood and didn't want to ruin it.

6. Employee had a "lucky night" and didn't know where he was.

7. Employee got stuck in the blood pressure machine at the grocery store and couldn't get out.

8. Employee had a gall stone they wanted to heal holistically.

9. Employee caught their uniform on fire by putting it in the microwave to dry.

10. Employee accidentally got on a plane.

While majority of employers give their employees the benefit of the doubt, 31 percent admitted to checking to see if an employee was telling the truth.

CareerBuilder said those employers typically ask to see a doctor's note (66 percent), followed by calling the employee (49 percent). As many as 15 percent of employers drove past the employee's house.

Nearly 1 in 5 employers, 18 percent, say they have fired an employee for calling in sick with a fake excuse.

One in four employers, 24 percent, have caught an employee lying about being sick by checking social media.