We have all been there, watching the clock before you start work knowing that you are not going to make it on time. It is not a great feeling and it only becomes worse when it is something clearly your own fault, but that doesn’t mean you don’t hear a few good excuses from tardy colleagues. Here is our list of the top 5 most common excuses for being late.

5. Heavy line up getting food/coffee before work

4. Family/kids event held me up

3. Alarm didn’t wake me up

2. Weather implications

1. Traffic

I am sure most of you agree traffic is the easiest candidate to blame for being late (except in Whistler) as it can be unexpected, uncontrollable and downright restricting on your day especially in countries like Philippines where congested transportation is a major issue. However we wanted to remind you from PayrollHero how important being punctual and on time is. Planning your day and taking weather into account is your first step to being more timely. Being late consistently will hinder both your career prospects and colleague relationships. Disappointing or letting down your team is the easiest way to lose respect in a workplace and create tension among your coworkers.

With this list however, we want to ask you what is the best excuse for being late you have ever heard? We have all heard quite a few so I encourage you to share the most memorable one you have ever heard in the comments below!