We’ve all been there – you wake up, realize you’re already running late for work, and scramble to get out the door as quickly as possible. But despite our best efforts, sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and we arrive at the office well after our scheduled start time. So what do you do when your boss gives you the stink eye and demands an explanation? We’ve covered you with hilarious excuses for being late to work that will make your coworkers laugh (and maybe even forgive you). Let’s begin!
Pet Predicaments
Sorry, I’m late. My cat stole my keys.
I woke up to the sound of my cat, Mittens, meowing incessantly. I groggily stumbled out of bed, wondering what could be the matter. As soon as I entered the living room, I saw Mittens perched on the coffee table, holding my keys in his mouth. I tried to grab them, but he scampered away, leading me on a wild goose chase all over the house. When I finally caught him, I was already running late for work. My apologies for the delay!
Apologies for my tardiness. My dog swallowed my phone.
You won’t believe what happened! I was getting ready to leave for work, and I set my phone down on the counter while I went to grab my jacket. In a few seconds, I was turned around, and my dog, Rufus, managed to sneak up and swallow my phone. I couldn’t believe it! I had to rush him to the vet to make sure he wouldn’t get sick, which caused me to be late for work. Sorry for the inconvenience!
My hamster escaped from his cage.
This morning started like any other, but then I checked on my little hamster, Mr. Fluffernutter, and found that he had somehow escaped from his cage. I searched high and low for him, but he was nowhere to be found. Just as I was about to give up, I heard a rustling sound inside the couch. Sure enough, there was Mr. Fluffernutter, snuggled up and sleeping soundly. I was running behind schedule when I got him back in his cage and got ready for work. Sorry about that!
My parrot mimicked my alarm clock and turned it off, making me oversleep.
I apologize for being late today. I have a parrot, and he has this uncanny ability to mimic sounds perfect. My alarm clock went off, and I hit snooze like I usually do. But little did I know, my parrot was listening intently and learning to make the same sound. He then mimicked my alarm clock and turned it off, causing me to oversleep. When I realized what had happened, I was already running late. Sorry for the delay!
My pet snake escaped, and I had to search for him before leaving.
I know I’m a bit late, and I apologize for that. I woke up to find that my pet snake, Slithers, had escaped from his tank. I searched high and low for him but couldn’t find him anywhere. I was starting to get worried, but eventually, I found him curled up behind the couch. I had to be careful not to scare him, so it took longer than anticipated. I apologize for the inconvenience and promise to compensate you for the lost time.
My rabbit chewed through my computer cord.
I’m sorry I’m running behind schedule today. I have a pet rabbit, and he’s quite the little mischief-maker. He had chewed through the cord on my computer. I had to go to the store and buy a replacement cord, which took longer than expected. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Sorry, I’m late, my turtle was feeling adventurous and decided to explore my entire apartment.
I noticed that my turtle’s tank was empty. At first, I thought she had just burrowed into her favorite hiding spot, but when I looked closer, I saw that the lid of her tank was slightly ajar. I searched high and low for her, checking every nook and cranny of my apartment, from under the couch to on top of the bookshelves. Finally, after almost an hour of searching, I found her happily exploring the kitchen, munching on some lettuce that had fallen on the floor.
I apologize for my tardiness, my guinea pig protested against the morning commute.
The guinea pig, who usually just sleeps in her cage, started squealing and running around like crazy. At first, I thought she was just excited about breakfast, but then I realized she was trying to make a statement about the morning commute. She refused to let me leave the house until I promised to find a way to make the commute less stressful for her. After some negotiation and a few carrot bribes, I finally convinced her to let me go, but not before signing a petition for better public transportation for small animals.
Sorry, I’m late, my tarantula escaped, and I had to track her down.
I searched all over the house for her, but she was nowhere to be found. As I was about to give up, I saw a shadowy figure dart across the floor. It was my tarantula, and she was headed straight for my shoe closet. I tried to catch her, but she was too fast for me. I had to wear heavy gloves and carefully coax her out with mealworms. It was a harrowing experience, but I finally captured and returned her to her terrarium.
I’m sorry for my delay, my hedgehog was feeling extra spiky.
Whenever I tried to pick her up, she would bristle and hiss like a tiny, furry porcupine. I tried to bribe her with mealworms and cuddles, but she had none. Finally, after much coaxing and a few strategically placed towels, I picked her up without getting too many quills in my hands. It was a delicate operation, but I finally got her into her carrier and on our way to work.
Technology Troubles
My alarm didn’t go off because my phone updated itself overnight and decided to snooze me for an extra hour.
I always set my alarm to wake me up at 6:30 a.m. sharp, but I woke up to my phone displaying 7:30 a.m. I was confused and disoriented, wondering how I could have slept for an extra hour. Upon investigating, I realized that my phone had updated itself overnight and had decided to sleep me for an extra hour, leaving me with no warning. I tried to rush as much as possible but still needed to catch up due to this technological mishap.
I was running late because my laptop decided to download a huge update just as I was about to leave.
As I was getting ready to leave the house, I remembered I needed to bring my laptop to work. I turned it on and waited patiently for it to boot up, only to be greeted by a notification saying it needed to download a large update. I tried to cancel it, but it wouldn’t let me proceed without downloading the update. I had to wait an eternity to finish, making me late for work.
I got lost on my way to work because my GPS gave me the wrong directions.
I know how to work like the back of my hand, but I used my GPS to avoid traffic. Little did I know, it had other plans for me. It kept giving me completely off directions, and I needed guidance. I had to pull over and double-check my map, which took me some extra time to reach work.
I spilled coffee on my keyboard, which made it go haywire and type gibberish.
I was running late, so I decided to grab a cup of coffee to go. I accidentally spilled some of it on my laptop keyboard as I walked out the door. I tried to clean it up quickly, but it was too late. My keyboard started typing gibberish, and I had to fix it extra before heading to work.
My internet connection was down, and I had to drive around to find a Wi-Fi hotspot to finish my work.
I had an important project due today, and I was working on it late into the night. However, my internet connection was down when I woke up. I had to drive around the neighborhood to find a Wi-Fi hotspot to finish my work, which took me some extra time. I promise I tried my best to be on time, but the technology wasn’t on my side.
Home Disasters
My washing machine overflowed and flooded the entire laundry room.
I was just about to leave for work when I heard a strange noise from the laundry room. When I investigated, I found that the washing machine overflowed and water poured onto the floor. I quickly turned off the machine, but the damage had been done by then. The laundry room was completely flooded! I had to spend some time cleaning up the mess before I could leave.
My toddler flushed my car keys down the toilet, and I had to call a plumber.
My toddler decided playing with my car keys would be fun. I didn’t think much of it until I realized they were missing. After searching the whole house, I found them in the toilet bowl! I tried to fish them out myself, but it was no use. I had to call a plumber to come and retrieve them. It was quite an ordeal, but I finally got my keys back.
My kitchen is infested with ants, and I had to fend them off before leaving.
I woke up to find a trail of ants marching across my kitchen countertop. I tried to ignore them, but they just kept coming. Eventually, I had to take action and start fending them off with a spray bottle and paper towels. It took longer than expected, but I finally got rid of them and could leave for work.
Sorry, I’m late. My roof started leaking, and I had to put pots and pans all over the house to catch the water.
I heard a strange dripping sound coming from above me. When I looked up, I realized that my roof was leaking! I quickly grabbed some pots and pans from the kitchen and placed them strategically around the house to catch the water. It was quite the sight, but I managed to prevent serious damage before I could finally leave for work.
Traffic Troubles
I got stuck behind a tractor on my way to work.
You know how it is, sometimes you get stuck behind a slow driver, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Well, I got stuck behind a tractor. Yes, you heard that right, a tractor! I was driving on the road, minding my own business when suddenly, this huge tractor pulled out in front of me. It was going so slow that I could have walked faster. I tried to overtake it several times, but there was no room. So I had to sit there and watch in frustration as the tractor slowly descended the road.
There was a parade blocking the road.
This sounds crazy, but a parade blocked my way to work. They didn’t get the memo that people must go to work! Anyway, I was driving down the road when suddenly I saw all these people walking in the middle of the street. They were dressed in costumes and carrying all sorts of strange objects. I couldn’t believe it! It was like something out of a movie. Of course, I had to wait for the parade to pass before I could continue.
A family of ducks decided to cross the road.
I saw this family of ducks walking along the side of the road. They were so cute! I slowed down to watch them briefly, but then they decided to cross the road. Of course, being my animal lover, I had to stop and wait for them to cross safely. It took a few minutes, but eventually, they made it across, and I could continue to work.
A herd of cows got loose and blocked the road.
Suddenly I saw all these cows walking in the middle of the road. A herd of cows had somehow gotten loose and was blocking the road. I had to wait for a farmer to come and round them up before I could continue on my way. It was quite the adventure, let me tell you!
Personal Perils
I accidentally took my spouse’s medication instead of my own.
I woke up feeling under the weather, so I took my medication. Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying close attention and accidentally took my spouse’s medication instead. As a result, I became extremely tired and had to wait until I felt alert enough to drive safely to work.
I put salt in my coffee instead of sugar.
I was running on autopilot while making my coffee. I reached for what I thought was sugar, but it was salt. I didn’t realize my mistake until I took a big sip, and then I had to spend some time trying to get the taste out of my mouth. I was already behind schedule when I was ready to leave for work.
I got trapped in my bathroom.
I went to shower before work, and when I finished, I realized that the doorknob had broken off. I was stuck in the bathroom with no way to get out. I tried calling my roommate, but they didn’t answer, so I had to wait for a neighbor to help me open the door. By the time I finally made it out of the bathroom, I was very behind schedule.
My car got stolen this morning, and I had to wait for the police to arrive.
I went outside to get in my car and go to work, but it wasn’t there. I called the police and waited for them to arrive and take a report. It took a while for them to arrive, and then I had to answer many questions and fill out paperwork. By the time everything was done, I was very late for work.
I accidentally set my clock an hour ahead instead of back.
Last night, I changed the clock on my bedside table to prepare for daylight savings time, but I accidentally set it an hour ahead instead of back. I woke up thinking I had plenty of time to prepare for work, only to realize my mistake when I checked my phone. I had to rush to get ready and was already behind schedule.
Weather Woes
Sorry, I’m late, the wind blew my car away!
It was a stormy morning, and as I was driving to work, a sudden gust of wind hit my car. Before I knew it, I was being swept away like a paper bag in a hurricane. I tried to regain control, but the wind was too strong. It carried me across town, over rooftops, and through traffic until I finally crashed into a lamppost. Thankfully, I wasn’t hurt, but my car was badly damaged, and I had to call a tow truck to take it away.
I got lost in a snowdrift on the way to work!
I woke up to find that the snow had piled up overnight, leaving my car buried under a foot of snow. I dug myself out, but as I was driving, I took a wrong turn and ended up in a remote area where the snow drifts were twice as high. I tried to turn around, but my car got stuck in the snow. I had to spend the next hour shoveling my way out and pushing my car back onto the road.
I slipped on ice and fell into a snowbank!
Walking to my car, I hit a patch of black ice and lost my footing. I slid across the pavement like a penguin on an ice slide and landed in a snowbank. It was so deep that I couldn’t climb out, and my clothes were completely soaked through. I had to wait for a kind passerby to help me out and drive me to work.
I got caught in a rainstorm and turned into a drowned rat!
I thought I could work before the rain started this morning, but I needed to be corrected. As I crossed the street, a downpour hit me like a bucket of water, and I was instantly soaked to the bone. My clothes stuck to me like wet paper, and my hair looked like a bird’s nest. I returned home to change my clothes, dry off, and start again.
The wind was so strong this morning that I couldn’t walk straight!
As I exited my apartment building, I immediately regretted not checking the weather forecast. The wind was so strong that it felt like a force field pushing against me from every direction. I tried to walk in a straight line, but I kept veering off course and had to readjust my trajectory constantly. At one point, a particularly strong gust lifted me off my feet and spun me around like a rag doll. When I finally made it to work, my hair was a mess, and I was completely chaotic.
Sleep Struggles
I overslept because of a dream.
Last night, I had the most amazing dream. I was a superhero, flying around the city and saving people from danger. It was so real that I didn’t want to wake up! I kept hitting snooze on my alarm, hoping to return to the dream. But eventually, I realized that I had to get up and go to work, so I reluctantly got out of bed.
My alarm clock went off in a different time zone.
I recently went on a trip to a different time zone and forgot to change the time on my alarm clock. So when it went off, I thought I had another hour to sleep! When I realized my mistake, I was already running late, so I had to rush to prepare and make it to work on time.
I slept through a thunderstorm.
Last night, there was a big thunderstorm, and I slept through the whole thing. I didn’t even wake up when the lightning struck nearby! But the downside was that the storm knocked out the power, and my alarm clock reset itself, so it didn’t go off in the morning.
I dreamed I was already at work and woke up feeling like I’d already put in a full day.
I was so worried about oversleeping that I dreamed I was already at work. I even remember checking my email and responding to a few messages. When my alarm went off, I felt like I had already put in a full day’s work, so it was hard to get motivated to work.
I got lost in a particularly vivid daydream about being on vacation.
On my morning commute, I started daydreaming about being on a tropical beach, sipping a fruity drink, and feeling the warm sun on my skin. The daydream was so vivid that I lost track of time and missed my exit. When I saw a sign for a town I’d never heard of, I realized my mistake and had to turn around.
Lost Keys or Wallet
I couldn’t find my keys this morning.
I thought I had placed my keys on the table, but they weren’t there when I reached for them. I looked all over the house, under the couch, in the kitchen, and even in the fridge. Then, I remembered that my cat loves shiny objects, and I had left my keys on the kitchen counter. I found them in his food bowl! He must have thought they were his new toy.
Sorry, my wallet went missing.
I woke up late and was in a hurry to get ready. I grabbed my wallet and headed out the door but couldn’t find it when I got to my car. I looked in my pockets, bag, and even under my car seat. I retraced my steps back to my house, and that’s when I saw my dog chewing on something. It was my wallet! He had somehow gotten hold of it and had a great time shredding it. I had to spend some time picking up the pieces and putting them back together, but I managed to salvage enough to use for the day.
I had a mishap with my keys.
I grabbed my keys and ran out the door, but as I was locking it, the key broke off in the lock. I tried to get it out with some pliers, but it wouldn’t budge. So, I had to call a locksmith to come out and fix it, but they were running late too. I had to wait for over an hour, but thankfully they could fix it in the end.
My wallet had a mind of its own.
I was preparing to leave when I realized I couldn’t find my wallet. I checked all the usual spots, but it was nowhere to be found. As I was about to give up, I heard a rustling sound coming from the other side of the room. I followed the sound and found my wallet, trying to make a run for it! My toddler had taken it and was playing with it, and it ended up in the most unexpected place – in the toy box. I had to dig through her toys to find it, but I finally did.
I accidentally dropped my keys and wallet in a sewer drain.
It was a dark and stormy night, and I was walking down the street when I suddenly tripped and dropped my keys and wallet. I didn’t realize it then, but they had fallen into a nearby sewer drain. I spent the next few hours trying to fish them out with a coat hanger, but it was useless. I had to go to the hardware store to get some tools, and by the time I finally got my keys and wallet back, I was already late for work.
Childcare Issues
My toddler was determined to dress, which became a battle of wills.
Let me tell you, my little one woke up feeling very independent today. She insisted on picking out her clothes and putting them all on herself. At first, I thought this was a great sign of her growing up, but little did I know what I was in for. She picked out the most mismatched outfit I’ve ever seen – a pink tutu, a polka-dot shirt, and cowboy boots. And then she proceeded to try and put everything on herself, with very little success. I had to intervene and help her dress, which took much longer than expected.
My son thought hiding my car keys would be funny.
My son thought it would be hilarious to hide my car keys so I couldn’t leave for work. He’s been into pranks lately, so I should have seen it coming. But it was a real challenge trying to find those keys! We looked all over the house, under the couch, in the toy box, and even in the fridge. I finally found them in the most unexpected place – inside my purse, which he had zipped closed!
My daughter decided to get a hairstylist this morning.
My daughter woke up early and decided to play hairstylist with me. She insisted we try new hairstyles, and I couldn’t say no to her excitement. So we spent half an hour experimenting with different braids, twists, and buns. And let me tell you; she was very creative with her ideas! When we were done, my hair looked like something from a sci-fi movie. I had to re-wash and style it before I could come to work.
My baby had a diaper blowout just as we were about to leave the house.
We were all set to leave the house when my baby had a diaper blowout of epic proportions. It was everywhere – on his clothes, the changing table, and even the floor. I had to spend much time cleaning everything up and bathing him before we could even think about leaving the house. Let’s say it was not a pretty sight.
I’m sorry I’m late, my son wanted to show me his new magic trick.
My son has been into magic lately and wanted to show me his new trick. I couldn’t say no to his enthusiasm, so I sat down with him to watch. He pulled out a deck of cards, started shuffling, and then asked me to pick one. I did, and then he did this elaborate card trick that baffled me. I had to stay and watch until he showed me how it was done. It was impressive, but I needed to catch up on work.
Transportation Problem
I got a flat tire on the way here.
It was a real nail-biter or screwdriver-biter. I was cruising down the highway when suddenly, I heard a loud bang. I thought I had blown a tire, but nope, just a screwdriver that someone had dropped on the road. I tried changing the tire but couldn’t get the lug nuts off. I had to wait for a good Samaritan to stop and help me. At least we got to bond over our shared love of dad jokes while we changed the tire.
Sorry for my delay; my car had a flat tire.
It was like a scene out of a movie. I was driving down a deserted road, minding my business when I heard this ominous hissing sound. I knew I had a flat tire but didn’t have a spare. So, I had to call a tow truck to rescue me. But the tow truck driver was late, and when he finally arrived, he realized he had left his tire jack at his last job. We had to wait for him to go back and get it. It was like a comedy of errors, but thankfully, we finally changed the tire, and I made it here.
My usual mode of transportation wasn’t available.
I relied on taking the bus to work every day, but I discovered that the bus was undergoing maintenance and wasn’t running. I checked the schedule to see if there was a different bus I could take, but unfortunately, the next available one wouldn’t arrive for another hour. As I couldn’t wait that long, I had to think on my feet and find another way to get to work.
There was a traffic accident on the highway.
I was driving to work as usual, but when I got onto the highway, I encountered a traffic accident that caused a huge backup. I was stuck in traffic for over an hour and couldn’t find a way to exit and take an alternate route. I tried calling you to let you know I would be late, but I needed to get through due to poor reception in the area. As soon as I got through the traffic, I rushed to work quickly.
My car wouldn’t start.
I tried to jump-start it, but it still wouldn’t work. I had to call a tow truck to take it to the mechanic, which took longer than anticipated. Once I got to the mechanic, diagnosing and fixing the problem took a while. When my car was up and running, I rushed to work as quickly as possible.
I missed my train this morning.
I missed it by mere seconds. I ran a little behind schedule and didn’t get to the platform on time. I tried to catch the next train, but it was delayed due to a signal problem. When I got on the train, it was running behind schedule, and it took longer than usual to get to my stop. I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Jammed Elevator
I’m sorry I’m late; I got stuck in a jammed elevator on my way up.
Arriving at a crowded office building, I took the elevator to my floor. It stopped suddenly, and the lights went out. Despite trying to call for help, I felt anxious waiting in the hot and stuffy elevator. Shouting eventually led to someone hearing me, and the building maintenance team rescued me after half an hour. However, I was already late for work.
I was stuck in a jammed elevator on my way here.
I had a normal day heading to work until the elevator suddenly stopped between floors. I was trapped and couldn’t call for help, feeling anxious and worried about being late. After what seemed like forever, maintenance staff fixed the electrical malfunction, and I finally got out an hour late. I apologize for the delay and hope this won’t happen again.
Power Outage or Blackout
There was a power outage in my area.
My alarm clock was not going off because the power had gone out. I quickly searched for a flashlight to get ready in the dark. The lack of electricity also made navigating my home and finding my work attire easier.
I was delayed getting to work due to a blackout.
I was already on my way to work when the blackout occurred. The traffic lights were out, causing a lot of congestion on the roads. I had to take a detour and find my way around the traffic. Unfortunately, this added significant time to my commute.
There was a power outage at the train station.
When I arrived at the train station, I learned that a power outage had affected the train schedule. Many of the trains were delayed or canceled, so I had to wait long before a train arrived.
My home security system was affected by a power outage.
Due to the power outage, my home security system was down. I had to manually secure my home and lock all the doors and windows. This took longer than usual, causing me to be late for work.
I’m sorry for being late. There was a blackout in the building where I live.
The building where I live experienced a power outage, which affected the elevators. I had to walk down several flights of stairs to exit the building, which took longer than usual. Additionally, the blackout caused the traffic lights to go out, causing a delay in my commute.
Forgot Something at Home
I forgot my laptop charger
My laptop battery died overnight, and I couldn’t complete the important work I was supposed to finish. I rushed home to get the charger, which caused the delay.
I left my wallet at home
I realized it only when I was at the gas station and needed to fill up gas for my car. I had to return home to get my wallet.
I forgot my work ID badge at home.
I realized I had left my work ID badge at home when I arrived at the office. I had to go back and retrieve it.
I forgot my medication at home.
I forgot to bring my medication and had to return home to retrieve it. I understand this may have caused inconvenience, and I will do my best to ensure I am better prepared.
Being late to work can be stressful and embarrassing, but it doesn’t always have to be. You can turn a potentially awkward moment into a funny and memorable one with a little creativity and humor. So the next time you find yourself running late, don’t be afraid to use one of these funny excuses as your justification.