Reasons for taking time off work vary. Be it a family emergency, a medical condition, a misunderstanding with a co-worker, a hangover or a much needed break from stress employees everywhere and anywhere from the supervisors down to the rank and file will always have reasons to absent themselves. Unfortunately for most companies, employees take time off from work usually for reasons that are just unacceptable in a professional environment. Most of the time the more credible excuses are medical and should come with a doctor note.

The more common and credible excuses used by employees would include the common cold or the flu. Because it is infectious in nature, employees with colds or flu are usually allowed to stay at home in order to keep co-workers from catching the virus. Those with colds and flu are usually advised a day or two of bedrest as well as medication and plenty of fluids.

Physical injuries such as sprains and muscle strains are also common medical excuses especially if it effectively prevents the employee from performing the current job. A doctor note for injuries may require some amount of home stay and rest as well as special instructions on certain tasks that employees may or may not perform. A doctor note may contain for example certain limitations in terms of the number of hours an employee can stand or as to how heavy a weight the employee can carry. These instructions would of course depend on how severe the injury is. Other related excuses would be severe back pains and other muscular pains and injuries.

Another common medical excuse that an absent employee may present in a doctor note would be intestinal or abdominal pain or discomfort, usually caused by food poisoning and diarrhea. Dehydration resulting from such illnesses can make the employee severely weak. Moreover, the discomfort can also be distracting at work and may compel you to use toilet facilities every so often. For these type of illness a doctor note may recommend another day or two rest.

Skin allergies and infectious skin diseases are also common medical excuses for absences from work. Carbuncles and boils which aside from being painful, can also infect a co-worker are valid excuses that may be placed in a doctor note. Carbuncles take a while but it will not be until its last stages that the pain will become unbearable. This entails minor surgery but will not get you off work for more than a day.

Other acceptable medical excuses are however more difficult to make up because of its severity and extent. Of course if your illness genuinely requires hospitalization then you are more than excused from work

But whatever the reason and whatever the excuse, what's more important is that you have a good doctor note to back you up. Most of the time unless employees present their doctor note, their absences incur consequences ranging from salary deductions to termination. If you're faking it a credible doctor note can be found and purchased online, complete with a hospital and clinic logo as well as physician details, contact information and signature.