Enough tricks to excuse illness, traffic jam... to ask for leave from work

Being lazy to work or having too much work pressure, many people want to take a day off during the week just to lie in bed, sip coffee, go out and forget about the deadline waiting.

Sometimes when bored, employees think of an excuse to take a day off - Illustration: WHITE CLOUD

But taking time off is not always easy, especially when companies don't like employees absent without a valid reason. So many people come up with countless reasons to take a day off without being criticized.

Popular keywords for asking for leave: traffic jam, sick

"When I was young, I pretended to have a stomachache or headache to ask my teacher to leave school early. When I grew up and went to work, there were times when I pretended to be stuck in traffic to ask my boss not to come to work," Minh (27 years old, software engineer) is very good at this trick.

Because he drives a motorbike from Bien Hoa City ( Dong Nai ) to work in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, the distance is long and he often encounters traffic jams, so Mr. Minh successfully applies the keyword "traffic jam".

Every morning when he woke up feeling lethargic and wanted to take a day off, he called his boss, frustrated: "Boss, I'm sorry, I'm stuck in traffic on Dong Nai bridge. I'll be late if I rush to the company. Let me work from home today."

Bich Nga (29 years old, graphic designer) has a reason for taking time off work that is hard to argue with. Whenever the weather changes, from sunny to rainy, or from a few days of heavy rain, she immediately texts her boss to tell him that she has sinusitis and weather allergies and cannot come to the office.

This reason for leave sounds reasonable and is related to health, so it is usually approved by the boss immediately.

In addition, asking for leave for health reasons or "family emergencies" is chosen by many young people, because it appeals to emotions and is difficult for managers to argue or refuse.

Duc Minh (26 years old, from Lam Dong province) often chooses to take a day off on Thursday or Friday with the excuse of "family emergency". "If I say family emergency, everyone will be sympathetic and not ask what it is," he said.

Thanks to that, Duc Minh had an extra day off, added to the two weekends, enough to go away for a few days. However, he always remembered not to post pictures of his outings, not to say anything inappropriate to others so as not to be exposed.

Got a day off but lost the trust of the boss

Ngoc Mai (26 years old, office worker at a company in Binh Duong ) is called a "master" by her colleagues and asked for leave.

Not choosing to text, Mai called her manager, her voice weak: "Sir, I'm sorry, this morning I had a severe stomachache, probably because of what I ate last night. I'm taking a day off to see a doctor."

The manager listened and immediately agreed, not forgetting to advise her to rest properly. But in reality, she just wanted to spend that day resting, going to the market, cooking, and taking care of herself. And of course, the stomach ache suddenly disappeared right after the call ended.

Take time off often just to relieve stress, go shopping... - Illustration: WHITE CLOUD

There are also effective ways to avoid work, like the guy who called his boss, his voice full of frustration and grievance, saying that his motorbike broke down on the way to work.

The mechanic said he needed to replace the spare part, but it was complicated and he had to wait for several hours. He was worried that the repair shop would steal the spare part if he ordered a car via a technology service.

Mr. Manh (37 years old, currently working as a manager at a company in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) said that he used to be an employee and then a manager, so he understands the tricks of asking for leave.

"The staff just needs to give a reasonable reason, I agree. But asking them to provide evidence, prescriptions, etc. will create a very awkward situation for both of us. We will have to work together in the future," he shared.

But in general, Mr. Manh believes that although the tricks of asking for leave can help you have a day of freedom, if you abuse them, you will most likely lose the trust of your superiors.

Some managers share that they can let employees take time off without questioning, but if someone takes too many times off, they will still take note and evaluate that employee's level of professionalism.

"It's okay to take a day off once or twice. But if you keep using traffic jams, illness, or urgent work as excuses to avoid work, that employee will not be highly regarded," said Mr. Manh.

Instead of avoiding work, human resources experts advise employees to talk frankly with their boss if they feel too stressed and need a day off to recharge.

Many companies now have flexible leave policies, allowing employees to take reasonable time off without having to make up "fake" excuses. Asking for time off in a transparent and clear manner not only helps maintain the trust of your manager, but also helps you maintain a professional image at work.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-chieu-do-thua-bi-benh-ket-xe-de-xin-nghi-lam-20250311161415148.htm