Want More Vacation Days? Here Are 20 Creative Excuses To Get What You Want

We've ALL been there.

Endless reports have come out about the countless virtues of taking vacation; even more reports, it seems, have come out about Americans working on vacation, how little time off Americans get and general worker stress.

A recent online poll of over 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by The Huffington Post found that roughly one in four full-time employees were stressed out during the month of March about taking vacation days (and others responded that they weren't permitted to take their earned vacations).

Enter resourceful thinking.

A survey of over 1,200 Americans by Choice Hotels International, Inc. revealed that 11% of respondents said that they would come up with an excuse to get additional time off (for those interested, the question read: "What’s the most creative excuse you’ve ever used or heard someone else give to skip work to get some extra days off?").

Herewith, the 20 best actually-been-used made-up excuses for why you need more vacation time.

• I was ambushed by zombies.
• I had to stay home to prepare for the zombie apocalypse.
• Martians kidnapped my boyfriend, and I must rescue him.
• My aquarium busted, and I must save my fish.
• A garbage truck is on fire at the end of my driveway.
• There’s a snake on my porch.
• I had to attend a pop-up wedding.
• My mother's car broke down on a cross-country trip, and I had to go and assist her.
• My child came home with a really contagious eye infection. I should stay away from the office until its safe.
• My husband will be out sick today, Friday and Monday.
• My wife got a terrible hair-coloring job, and I must stay home to provide moral support.
• I’m having a hair malfunction.
• I’m suffering from a sympathetic pregnancy.
• I had an out-of-town dental appointment.
• I gave up my seat on the plane to an elderly person and couldn't get back for a few days.
• My dog did not wake me.
• My dog ate my shoes.
• My dog hid my car keys.
• My bird is sick.
• My grandmother died (twice in one year).
• I’m having trouble with my prostate (reported by a woman).
• I am meeting on a project with a co-worker (who was actually in a meeting at the time with the caller’s boss).