How many excuses or lies have you made to skip a day from work?

How many of those did your boss actually believe?

See, that’s the difficult part about making an excuse to not go to work, especially if that excuse is a lie.  The worst part is the fact that your boss won’t buy it.

The ‘feeling-sick’ excuse doesn’t make the shot anymore.  You’ll end up delaying your work along with someone else filling in your spot and cursing you for being absent.  Here are five smart excuses that will make sound wise instead of lame.

1. You’ve Earned It:  This one works for me.  Try coming in early or staying late for a week or two at work.  This is an advantage to help you skip a day from work.  You can also work more hard and finish tasks that are due later.  ”Really work when you’re there, so you’ll be able to feel good about taking time off,” says Andrea Nierenberg, president of The Nierenberg Group, a management consulting and personal marketing practice.

2. Playing Golf with a Client: Don’t just say this; go and meet up with a client of yours so you don’t get in trouble for lying.  For this excuse to work, you’re going to have to find a job where you meet clients.  Neil Simpkins, an account executive at Oxford Communications, has used this one successfully.

3. Doctor’s Appointment: This excuse will get you half a day off from work so make sure the appointment is in the afternoon so you can leave from work early and reach home early too.  You’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy and relax then.

4. Painful Cramps: Think about it: who can argue about this?  ”It’s such an embarrassing topic that nobody will ever challenge it,” says Jennifer Newman, vice president of Lippe Taylor Public Relations.

Note: Please don’t use this excuse if you’re a guy.

5. Work from Home: This is an excellent way to get a day off from work IF your company allows it.  The benefit in this one is it’ll remove the time you spend to travel.

Read the five not-so-smart excuses you should avoid, at Yahoo.

Image Source