Survey: Bosses Reveal Strangest Late Excuses From Tardy Workers

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sometimes, you just can't help being late to work. Whether your car broke down, traffic was a nightmare, or you accidentally overslept, life happens and you might need a handy excuse for your boss.

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A survey from CareerBuilder recorded the year's most common and strangest excuses used by workers to explain their tardiness.

38% of workers between the ages of 18-34 report being late to work at least once a month.

There's only a small drop to 36% of workers between the ages of 35-44 that report being late to work at least once a month and then a large decrease for those that are 45 and older only reporting 14% of workers being late to work.

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A regional comparison finds that the West reports being late to work at least once a month the most at 30% and the Midwest ranking the lowest reports of monthly latenesses at 23%.

The strangest excuses reported by bosses are:

• It's too cold to work.
• I had morning sickness (it was a man).
• My coffee was too hot and I couldn't leave until it cooled off.
• An astrologer warned me of a car accident on a major highway, so I took all backroads, making me an hour late.
• My dog ate my work schedule.
• I was here, but I fell asleep in the parking lot.
• My fake eyelashes were stuck together.
• Although it has been five years, I forgot I did not work at my former employer's location and drove there on accident.

So if you do happen to be late, don't feel too bad as it is a common occurrence but do try to steer away from excuses as strange and memorable as these.