Late again? Unbelievable

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As the mornings get colder and darker, the temptation to hit the snooze button and call in late can be all too strong. But employees beware, as a new employer study out today reveals that less than one in ten (seven per cent) British bosses fully trust the reasons their staff give them for not making it into work on time.

Commissioned by esure home insurance, the study entitled The Late Debate2 gathered the opinions of over 1,000 British employers about punctuality in the workplace and reveals that the ten least convincing excuses for being late are:

  1. Being unable to shut a window properly at home
  2. A broken house alarm
  3. Sick pets
  4. A spillage in the home
  5. Being snowed in
  6. Feeling unwell
  7. Getting locked in or out of the house
  8. Flooded washing machine
  9. Waiting for a handyman to arrive
  10. Losing a key

The research revealed that two thirds (66 per cent) of employers surveyed believe that they are experienced enough to tell when a member of staff is lying about why they have been delayed. According to one in five employers surveyed, long over-thought stories are the biggest giveaway that a lie is being told, while almost a third (31 per cent) said that avoiding eye contact is an indicator that someone isn't quite telling the truth.

For a fifth (20 per cent), hearing the same excuse again and again makes it less convincing, while 12 per cent of employers polled said that excuses given on a Monday morning were less believable still.

Mike Pickard, Head of Risk and Underwriting at esure home insurance, said: "It appears that employers are extremely suspicious of the excuses employees give for being late. But if we are to believe even half the excuses included in this study, then we anticipate a lot of calls about emergency home cover this winter or claims for accidental damage. As a nation, problems within our homes certainly seem to be a common reason given for lateness to work."

Gender divide
The Late Debate showed that female employers are more trusting than male employers, with eight per cent fully trusting the excuses staff give them compared to just six per cent of male employers.

And while both genders agreed that being unable to close a window was the least convincing excuse, male employers ranked sick pets as the next excuse that they fail to believe. Female bosses seemed to empathise more with this reason, ranking it as the fifth least convincing excuse.

-ends-

esure's press contacts:

For further information please contact the esure press office at Mischief PR on 020 7100 9999 or email esure@mischiefpr.com

An ISDN line is available for radio interviews

Notes to Editors:

  1. esure used the independent online research company FlyResearch who surveyed 1,036 of the UK’s employers, from across the country aged 18 and over, between 11th and 14th November 2009.
  2. Name given to esure's study.

About esure:

esure was launched in 2001. The company offers car, home, pet and travel insurance over the internet and by phone. esure also offers car insurance cover through the brands Halifax, Sainsbury's, Sheilas' Wheels and more recently home insurance through the Sheilas' Wheels brand.