It’s likely you work closely with someone who’s chronically late for work in the morning. It might even be you.

Some staffers might creep in quietly, hoping not to be noticed.

Other employees loudly announce their entrance, creative excuses at the tip of their tongue.

If you had to guess how many employees admitted to being late at least once a week, which would you choose?

• 5%
• 10%
• 15%
• 25%

If you guessed 15%, you might be one of the people who read about it in a recent CareerBuilder.com survey.

What if you’re part of that 15% of chronically late employees?

You get a break from 43% of managers, who said they wouldn’t hold it against you as long as you do quality work and make your deadlines. But beware, if you’re slipping in your work performance. That tolerance will disappear fast than Friday-morning donuts in the employee lounge.

For that matter, the CareerBuilder survey is loaded with fun statistics: One out of three workers attribute their tardiness to getting stuck in traffic. Oversleeping is next, at 17%, and 7% say it’s because of the time it takes to get the kids ready and out of the house in the morning.

But there are always the exceptions — the employees who are compelled to be a bit, shall we say, creative in concocting excuses for late arrival.

These excuses have really been offered:

• “I was indicted for securities fraud this morning.”
• “I have amnesia and couldn’t remember where I worked.”
• “I was trying to get my gun back from police.”
• “I had to go audition for American Idol.”
• “I didn’t have the money for gas because all of the pawnshops were closed.”

It’s no wonder that 27% of managers are skeptical about employees’ excuses: 24% of employees resort to phony excuses rather than tell the truth.

Tags: excuses, managers, procurement, purchasing