Most office workers have lied to their boss over missing a deadline, having a day off or being late, research shows.
Some bizarre reasons for being late for work have been revealed in the survey of 1,500 employees and managers.
Falling asleep on a train and ending up in Scotland was put forward as an excuse by one office worker. Another claimed his dog ran off in the park on his morning walk.
But recruitment consultancy Office Angels said its poll 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 unable to look them in the eye.
Paul Jacobs, managing director of Office Angels, insisted honesty should be the best policy because good bosses realise that everyone occasionally makes mistakes.
He said: “If you are known as someone who can admit to a mistake, you will be trusted. Good time management is a highly regarded skill, so telling your boss that you won’t be able to finish something rather than not doing it and then simply lying, will ensure trust time and time again.”
