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AbsenceHR practice

‘Honey trapped’ is latest in list of lame excuses

by Personnel Today 24 May 2005
by Personnel Today 24 May 2005

Most office workers have lied to their boss for missing a deadline, having a day off or being late, according to a new survey.

Bizarre reasons for being late for work included claiming the bus ran out of petrol, falling asleep on a train and ending up in Scotland, and dropping a jar of honey on the floor.

Recruitment consultants Office Angels said its poll of 1,500 employees showed that workers were not very successful at bluffing because most managers knew when they were being told a lie.

Some workers went red when speaking to their bosses about a problem or were not able to look them in the eye.

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Paul Jacobs, managing director of Office Angels, said honesty was the best policy because good managers realise that everyone occasionally makes mistakes.

What’s the most ridiculous excuse you’ve heard for being late? E-mail us at [email protected]  – there’s a bottle of champagne for the best excuse



Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

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Personnel Today
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