Do you want to leave work early? Don’t worry, it happens. We all get to a point where we need to take a break. We’ve rounded up some of the best reasons to leave work early. By the best reasons, we mean reasons that your manager or boss will understand and sometimes even appreciate. Before we dig in, realize that you may not have to go as far as you think with your reason for leaving work early.
In the modern workforce, we are often tied to our jobs far beyond working hours. And because of this cultural change, of course we don’t have More strict working hours. But if you don’t feel like getting your reasoning straight, here are some good ways to get the message across and get out there without anyone batting an eye.
The 15 best excuses to leave work early and why
Here are the best excuses to leave work early and not make your boss or colleagues feel like you’re not committed to your job or work.
1. Not feeling well
Just saying, I don’t feel hot, that’s a fine excuse. No need for a long explanation why you don’t feel well. It could simply be a statement of not feeling well, wanting to go home. But if you’re really asked what’s wrong, it’s okay to say you have a headache or your stomach feels upset. Both are good reasons because you could have eaten something during the day that didn’t suit you. Or if you have a headache, you won’t be able to work well and may have to lie down for a while.
2. Need to run errands
Banks are still only open from 9am to 5pm. Meaning, if you need to go to the bank or even run general errands like returning a package, you’ll have to leave work early. They are not open on weekends and anytime after 5pm. If you need to go into detail, make sure you give an example of a hard closing time of 5pm. That way, there is a clear line as to why you should leave before the current time.
3. A sense of exhaustion
Only in cases where you have had a clear long day and a streak of high performance can you tell your manager that you want to go home because you feel exhausted and need rest the next day. However, make sure you only do this after a successful performance run. Because it might look bad if you state it without it being true.
4. You have to prepare for the next day
If you have a significant amount of meetings the next day or planning some kind of company event, it’s okay to leave early the day before, to say, “I’m going home today because tomorrow is going to be long.”
5. Should be available for delivery
Deliveries often only happen until 5pm, meaning you may need to be at home to sign for or receive deliveries. Especially if you are in town. It’s a great excuse; Everyone understands this scenario.
6. An animal in need of care
If you have a pet, everyone is fine with the fact that you may have to come home to take care of them. If, for some reason, the regular handler is not available, then state that and get out! as simple as that.
7. A child in need of care
If you have a child, most colleagues understand that parenthood has its own schedule. It’s okay to say you want to go home because you have to take care of your child. Maybe they have a baseball game. or a dance recital. These are all good reasons to leave.
8. See a doctor
Doctors are another profession that still operates with a 9am-5pm schedule. So if you have a doctor’s appointment, you should definitely leave early for the appointment. Everyone will understand it.
9. Meeting with a medical professional
Any medical professional, like an eye exam, is a good reason to leave. They usually don’t operate after 5pm. Go ahead, tell your colleagues you have to leave because you have a chiropractic appointment, an eye exam, something medically related.
10. Family is coming
You can say you have out-of-town family coming to your house, and you need to be there to let them in. Easy as that!
11. Going to work from home
Sometimes it’s okay to say you need a change of scenery. Saying that you will return home and continue working if your profession is digital is perfectly fine.
12. Want to go to the gym
Your health is important to your employer. Saying you want to leave early so you can go for a run would be acceptable. As long as you don’t do it too often, you should be fine. If you are not healthy, you are not happy. And if you’re not happy, you won’t be able to do a great job.
13. Networking event later
If you’re attending a networking or business event later in the evening, this is a great reason to get home before you have to go back to work. But be prepared to actually say what event you’re going to. It can become a lie, and we don’t want to do that.
14. Queue for car maintenance
If you need to take your vehicle in for maintenance, you will need to do so during business hours. This is a great excuse because you can also say that you wanted to get work done during the day before you dropped off the car at, say, 4:00 p.m. It shows commitment. But understand, you can’t use that excuse too much.
15. Significant other in need of assistance
If you are married or have a partner, then sometimes it can be okay to say that they need your help around the house with some things, and you are going to leave. However, be careful not to overuse it. Because it can make your partner seem needy and unsupportive of your professional life.
These are the best excuses to use. Other resources will tell you that you should adopt excuses that show some sense of urgency. But it feels a little more intense to us and could get you into hot water with your employer. Better stick to something like this Everyone can relate and appreciate. For example, going to the gym is something most employers will appreciate; Your health is important to them too.
Avoid saying something too dramatic that you’ll have to follow up the next day, and maybe even longer. It can turn into a bunch of lies, and we don’t recommend doing that. Additionally, we recommend not trying to make excuses too often; This will look like you are not committed to your job or company and may penalize you in the future.
Try to put a valiant effort into your daily or weekly tasks and be sure that your colleagues see the effort. Then, once that’s done, take your chance to tune your hours, and no one will look down on it.
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