Summer is around the corner. You’ve dumped your girlfriend and know how to prepare for it, but there’s still one thing standing in your way…WORK. Let work stand in your way no longer! Try these playing hookie tips, and have yourself a three or four-day weekend!
1. Get “sick”
Simply get sick. Call if you have a good sick voice, email if you don’t. It’s the oldest trick in the book, and it still works!
2. “Work” from home
This excuse still requires you to do some work—but not a ton. Working from home allows you to sleep in, take as long (or as short!) as you need to get your projects done, then play. As long as you get ‘er done, who says a workday has to last eight hours?
3. Book co-workers in meetings all day
Similar to Number Two, booking your co-workers in meetings all day still requires some work (i.e.: you actually have to wake up and make a quick office appearance). However, after your colleagues leave for their off-sites, wait ten minutes, then you head out too! On the odd chance that they come back to the office after their meetings (who does that?) and you aren’t there, just say you left early, and you don’t remember exactly what time you left…
4. Doctor appointment
“Schedule” a doctor appointment mid-morning, so that it wouldn’t make sense to come in before the appointment. Then conveniently have your doctor appointment go longer than expected, so that it wouldn’t make sense to come in post-appointment either.
5. Take a personal day
Many companies include “personal days” in their benefits packages—separate from vacation and sick time. For the companies that don’t have personal days, their reputation is on the line. So, although they may not offer them, when requested and in saving face, assume that they’ll approve. Requesting a personal day looks like this, “Hi Boss, Everything’s fine, but I had a rough night last night, and I could really use a personal day. Do you mind if I take one today? I’ve rearranged my schedule so all projects will still be done by EOW. Hope that’s ok with you. Thanks, Your Favorite Employee #outhere”
6. Car / computer / cell phone “broke”
Awe bummer, you woke up to a “broken” XXXX. If a necessity to do your job “breaks” down, what do you do? Nothing—including not working. Call or send your boss an email (obviously, if your phone is “broken” send an email instead of calling) explaining your situation, and letting him or her know that you’ll be in as soon as possible. (And by ASAP you mean…tomorrow.) Your boss will likely respond short and sweet, “No problem, take care of things and come in when you can.”
7. Waiting for the electrician
You know how the cable guy comes sometime between 11am and 5pm? (I’m not suggesting you call-in for the cable guy.) Plumbers and electricians are the same way! Hmm. Do you sense an emergency? A power outage…? Or a pipe bursting…?
8. Migraine
Getting “sick” is a great excuse for a Friday, because you have all weekend to get “well,” but getting sick mid-week doesn’t have the same effect, unless, let me guess, you had a 24-hour flu…? You had food poisoning…? The best excuse for getting sick and then rapidly getting well is a migraine. They hit hard and fast, and will be gone in eight hours. Perfect.
9. Sick sibling
You have to be careful when bringing others into your calling-in, as you don’t want anyone to blow your cover. Do not say your grandma died. If you have younger siblings, or even nieces and nephews, needing to babysit them is a great excuse. Their parents have stricter jobs that they couldn’t get out of; but your boss is “so understanding, you knew he’d say yes to letting you take care of sick kiddos.” Maybe even offer to “work from home” while taking care of the sick little ones.
10. Missed flight
If you’ve been traveling and can’t stand the thought of not having one more day, “miss” your flight. Careful, don’t say your flight was delayed; if someone checks, you could get caught in your lie. Simply said you missed it. (Of course, don’t really miss the flight… Head home and get one last day of R & R in.)
One important note when trying out any of the above: No tweeting or Facebooking while playing hookie, go off the grid. And if anyone asks, you didn’t hear it from me!