Ranked by believability:

Tier 1: Hardest to question

  1. Stomach bug, vague, common, no follow-up.
  2. Migraine, specific enough to be credible, no documentation needed.
  3. Family emergency, boundaries-respecting, brief.

Tier 2: Strong with brief delivery

  1. Sick child, if you have kids.
  2. Food poisoning, vivid, brief.
  3. Doctor's appointment, real and defensible.
  4. Mental health day, increasingly accepted.

Tier 3: Logistics

  1. Plumber / electrician for service window.
  2. Power outage / internet down.
  3. Car trouble.
  4. Burst pipe / home flooding.

Tier 4: Real-only

  1. Bereavement. Don't fake. If real, take it.
  2. Jury duty. Real summons only.
  3. Religious observance. Real.

How to deliver each

  • Health-related: brief, no detail. "Stomach bug, taking the day."
  • Family emergency: firm boundary. "Family emergency, will fill you in when I can."
  • Logistics: specific and time-bounded. "Plumber's here, 4-hour window."
  • Mental health: straightforward. "Need to take a mental health day."

Common mistakes

  • Over-explaining (sounds rehearsed)
  • Posting on social media that day
  • Repeating the same excuse within the same month
  • Long absence with no updates

The bigger question

If you're calling out frequently, the job probably isn't right. Sorce auto-applies to 5M+ jobs. 40 free swipes/day. Maybe the answer is a different role.

For more: reasons to call out of work, bulletproof excuses to get out of work, how to call out of work.