12 Family Emergency Excuses for When You Need Time Off

The most believable family excuses for time off at the last minute

Co-authored by Amber Rosenberg, PCC and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: October 12, 2024 Fact Checked

Need a reason to leave work or school or get out of an event? Family emergencies are perfect if you need time off because they don't require much detail (most of the time). In the US, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family or medical reasons, including issues related to your child, spouse, or parent.^{[1]
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US Department of Labor
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Go to source} However, some workplaces include siblings, grandparents, and in-laws, too. We've compiled a list of the best family emergency excuses below. Just remember—a white lie every once in a while likely won't hurt, but be careful about using an excuse like a death or serious illness more than once.

Things You Should Know

Make an excuse that someone in your family is ill, injured, or been in an accident. Or, say you can't find childcare or need to take a relative to an appointment.
Alternatively, say there's been a household emergency, like a burst pipe, gas leak, or break-in.
Avoid sharing specific details when you notify your professor or boss that you need time off. It’s better to be as vague as possible so you don’t get caught in a lie.

Email Template and Text Examples for a Family Emergency

Sample Email Template for a Family Emergency

Sample Example Texts about a Family Emergency

1

A family member is sick.

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Illness is typically considered the most valid reason to take time off. You cannot predict when loved ones get sick, so most people will understand if you have to miss a prior engagement or responsibility. Mention your family member caught a severe case of the flu or food poisoning if you need a believable excuse.
- “My child got food poisoning last night. I apologize for the late notice, but I need to take the day off to look after her.”
- “I have to miss your party because my dad caught a serious case of the flu. I need to stay home and monitor his symptoms.”
- “I’m so sorry, but I can’t attend your screening tonight. My husband just started vomiting uncontrollably, so I need to take him to the ER right now.”

2

Someone in your household is Covid-positive.

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Covid exposure can disrupt the entire office or classroom. The virus spreads quickly, and symptoms can take days to appear if you’ve come into contact with someone positive. Develop a backstory of how you were exposed, and provide a timeline of when you can safely return to the office or classroom.
- “I’m sorry to cancel on you at the last minute, but my husband just tested positive for Covid so I cannot attend the event tonight.”
- “My wife just got her Covid result back, and it’s positive. I won’t be able to work at the office for the next few days until I’m sure I don’t have any symptoms. I don’t want to risk spreading it to anyone else.”

3

A relative is injured.

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Injuries are a universal struggle that most people understand. Increase your believability by explaining what type of injury. If you need more time to create a story, simply state there’s been a “freak accident” so you can develop the details during your time off.
- “I apologize in advance, but my husband has just been in a freak accident. I need to leave right now to go to the hospital.”
- “I’m sorry for such short notice, but I have to cancel our date tonight. My dad sliced his hand open while making lunch, and I’m still at the ER.”
- “I just received a call that my mother fell down a flight of stairs. I need to leave immediately to make sure she’s ok.”

4

There’s been a car accident.

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Motor accidents allow you to bolt the office without questions. It’s common knowledge that motor accidents are unexpected and potentially fatal. Use this excuse if you need to leave in the middle of an event, but prepare yourself for follow-up questions when you return. Your boss might ask what happened and how your family member is doing.
- “I just got a call from my husband that he’s been in a car accident. I’m sorry, but I need to leave now to go to the hospital.”
- “There’s been a car accident, and my child was driving. I need to leave immediately to make sure she’s ok.”
- “My dad was in a car accident last night and I’m still with him at the hospital. I’m sorry for the short notice, but I need to take the morning off.”

5

You can’t find childcare.

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Most people empathize with emergencies involving children. Whether your babysitter is unavailable or your child’s school ends unexpectedly, use this excuse if you need to get out of something at the last minute–it’s almost impossible to verify, and most people have a soft spot for kids!^{[2]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices

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- “I just got a call that my son has been suspended. I’m sorry, but I need to leave immediately to find out what happened.”
- “My daughter is being let out of school early, so I need to leave at 1 PM to pick her up.”
- “My nanny just tested positive for Covid. I apologize for the short notice, but I need to leave the office early to look after my child. I can’t find a replacement!”

6

There’s been a household emergency.

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Most people understand that home issues are unpredictable. Severe home issues like gas leaks or burst pipes can be dangerous if left unattended. To increase the importance of the situation, you could also mention that other parties (neighbors, police) are currently waiting on you.
- “There was a burst pipe at my parents’ house, and their kitchen is completely flooded. I’m sorry for the late notice, but I have to help them so I can’t attend the event tonight.”
- “My husband just told me there’s been a gas leak at my house. I need to leave work immediately to take care of that.”
- I just got an alert that someone broke into my grandma’s home. I apologize, but I need to leave right now – my neighbors and the police are waiting on me.”

7

A family member needs help attending an appointment.

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Appointments are personal, so most bosses won’t expect extreme detail. This excuse is perfect if your family member doesn’t have transportation or cannot speak the national language. It’s unlikely that you’ll need to provide specific details, but it may seem more plausible to state the appointment type.^{[3]
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HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

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- “My mom has a green card appointment coming up, and I need to be present because she can’t speak English. I’ll need to take the day off to attend her interview.”
- “I sincerely apologize for the late notice, but my child could only schedule a DMV appointment at 10 A.M. Thursday morning. I’ll have to come in late because she doesn’t have her driver’s license and my spouse cannot take her.”

8

An elderly relative needs help moving.

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Most people recognize that moving can be challenging for the elderly. Use this excuse if you need to take several hours or the entire day off – moving is time-consuming! It’s more legitimate to say the moving company only operates during business hours so your boss doesn’t question why you can’t help outside of work hours.
- “My grandmother is moving next week, and I need to take the day off to help her move all the furniture. I apologize, but there were no other delivery times available.”
- “My dad injured his wrist recently, but he’s also in the middle of a move. I’m sorry, but I need to leave early on Friday to carry his belongings. He can’t lift any heavy objects right now.”

9

Someone in your family needs financial help.

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Most people can sympathize with a poor financial situation. Money is a sensitive topic, making it the perfect excuse to avoid burning bridges with people. Express an unfortunate financial situation if you need to back out of an event like a reunion, party, or concert. Let the other person know that your family member needed unexpected financial help, so you don’t have the funds to purchase tickets or cover travel.^{[4]
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HelpGuide
Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources.

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- “I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I can go to the concert with you anymore. My dad needed to borrow money from me last minute, and I don’t have anything to spare for tickets.”
- “I won’t be able to make it to the reunion next weekend. My sister couldn’t pay her bill last month, so I had to help her out. I’m sorry, but I just don’t have enough to pay for the flight at the moment.”

10

A relative has been diagnosed with a serious illness.

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An ill family member can disrupt your work, impacting the entire team. Caring for someone with a serious illness can be challenging and exhausting. A serious illness is considered a health condition that carries a high risk of mortality and commonly affects a patient for many years.^{[5]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices

Go to source} Don’t be afraid to request special accommodations or leaves of absence to minimize the impact of the situation on your work or school life.^{[6]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices

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- “My dad recently had a stroke, so I need to take the rest of the week off.”
- “My grandma was diagnosed with dementia last week, and I’ve been struggling to cope. I would like to request a leave of absence.”
- “I just found out my child has a serious illness, so I need to take the week off. I don’t have all the details yet, but I might request special accommodations so I can attend his medical appointments in the future.”

11

A family member’s mental health is in jeopardy.

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Mental health is an excuse that most people can empathize with. Mental health emergencies are unpredictable, and they impact every person in the family. It's important to keep your own well-being in mind if you are caring for someone with a mental health problem. Here is a link to resources for more information or to connect you to help: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/mental-health-resources.
- “My grandma just switched medications, and she hasn’t been answering her phone. I’m sorry, but I need to leave immediately to make sure everything is ok.”
- “My son has been acting strange lately, and I just got 4 missed calls from him. He’s not answering his phone, and I’m worried something is wrong. I apologize, but I need to skip the meeting today and contact my husband.”
- “My daughter has just been diagnosed with clinical depression, so I need to request a leave of absence to take care of her.”

12

There’s been a death in your family.

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A family death is always a valid excuse to take time off. Don’t be afraid to tell your institution that you need to take an extended period off to deal with someone’s passing. There is no timetable or schedule for grieving, so here’s a link to resources you can use if you are struggling to cope: https://www.hospiceandcommunitycare.org/grief-and-loss/grief-links/.
- “Someone in my family just passed away, so I need to take the rest of the week off.”
- “I need to take next week off to help with the funeral arrangements of a family member.”
- “I will not be at the office on Friday. There’s been a death in my family, and I need to attend the funeral.”

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Question

What are some special occasions when you need to miss work?

Community Answer

A wedding, family reunion, graduation, a birth or a death in the family might be reasons to miss work.

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What is maternity leave or family leave?

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Maternity leave is taken when someone gives birth to a child or adopts a child. Family leave can be taking time off to spend with their spouse and/or children for other reasons, such as caring for a sick family member.

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What is leave of absence? What are some reasons for this?

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A leave of absence means taking time off (for instance, from work). Reasons include taking a vacation, having a baby, going on a honeymoon and recovering from an injury or illness.

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Warnings

Honesty is the best policy to avoid future issues— consider asking for a mental health day before inventing an excuse.

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Avoid lying about death and serious illness. It is considered extremely unethical, and some workplaces require “proof of loss” such as an obituary or funeral card.

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