(Photo By Flickr User alexkerhead)

A survey released earlier this week finds nearly 3 in 10 workers say they are late to work at least once a month. That amounts to 28% of workers.

TrueBlue, KWQC-TV, and NBC News has released some laugh-out-loud actual excuses workers gave for arriving late to work.

Among them:
– “I thought it was a holiday because of the solar eclipse.”
– “I thought today was Saturday.” (It was Tuesday.)
– “There is a bear in my trash can, and I’m afraid to go outside.”

Career experts say to avoid being late, you should:
– Get organized and lay everything out before you go to bed.
– Ask for a later start time or telecommute, if possible.
– Refuse to snooze.
– And don’t make excuses. Be honest, own the late arrival and implement ways to avoid a repeat occurrence.