The 9 Best Excuses for Calling in Sick

Excuses are like "pieholes" -- everyone has one and they all stink. Sometimes a perfectly good lie will do. But the best policy is HONESTY! If that is not your style, though, the U.K.'s Telegraph has just published this list of excuses bosses say they're most likely to accept:

1. You have the flu. Forty-two percent said it's a good enough reason to miss work.  Apparently the other 58 percent expect you to show up in a Snuggie and work from the bathroom?

2. Your back went out: 39 percent.

3. You had some sort of accident and hurt yourself: 38 percent.

4. You're just really stressed out: 35 percent. Which is interesting. Can you imagine saying you're just too stressed out to come in, and your boss being COOL with it?

5. You've had elective surgery: 35 percent. (???)

6.  You're depressed: 35 percent.

7.  You're having an anxiety attack: 25 percent.

8.  You have a cold: 24 percent.

9.  You have a migraine: 22 percent. And 8 percent of employers said NONE of those excuses are a good enough reason to miss work.

(Bonus tip: Try saying your parakeet had a stroke. This is a perfectly good lie. Maybe. Use at your OWN risk!)