Excuses

There are several funny sick leave stories, including excuses. Legend has it that someone once called in with sunburned feet. It is alleged that someone else called in with an eye problem—he couldn’t see coming in to work that day. I suspect at least one of those is apocryphal.

Two stories that almost certainly weren’t included one that Roddy witnessed. At the time of the occurrence, local management, in a periodic crackdown on alleged sick leave abuse, had decreed that whenever calling in sick you would have to state the reason for the sick leave and state the expected return date. His roommate at the time, Fred Cruess, had cut one out of the herd the night before and by early morning of the shift in question determined that going to work was going to be damned inconvenient. So, he asked his new found friend to make the call. She told the supervisor who answered the phone, “Fred Cruess won’t be in today,” to which the supervisor responded, “what’s wrong with him and when will he return to work?”

Not expecting the questions, but nevertheless reacting smartly, the young lady replied, “he’s having brain surgery. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

Last updated: 06 April 2009