While the U.S. is frequently listed among the hardest working countries in the world, workers are frequently not covered by the same benefits—such as healthcare coverage and guaranteed time off—as those in similarly hard-working countries.
This results in U.S. employees looking for any way to secure some time away from the workplace. One user on TikTok recently went viral for their tip for getting some of that precious free time. Spoiler alert: It involves a bit of lying.
User Zach (@zach_sadock) has a series on TikTok called “Motherf*cker Tips” in which he shares life tips of dubious moral standing. In a recent iteration, he offers a workplace tip that went viral.
“Keep in mind only one thing if you’re starting a new job,” he wrote in the text overlaying the video. “No matter what the reality is, you now have four, alive grandparents. You’re welcome.”
As a commenter clarified, “For those wondering, it means you have 4 free excuses to call out. ‘sorry, my grandma passed.’”
Zach’s TikTok currently has over 7.3 million views.
@zach_sadock Thank me later. #tip #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ Sweet Dreams – PuppetMaster
While this tip may be unethical, lying to get out of work is incredibly common in the United States. A study by career website Zety claimed in 2020 that “nearly all Americans (96%) have lied to their employer to get out of work,” per Yahoo News.
Among the most cited lies were feeling ill and, as Zach alludes to in his TikTok, “family emergencies.”
In the comments under his TikTok, many users claimed that they had followed this exact tip for years.
“my ‘grandma’ has died at least 3 times,” one user claimed.
“I’ve fake[d] so many deaths. I don’t know my dad but he has died at every job I’ve had,” another added.
“My grandparents have died 50 times by now,” a third wrote.
Others offered additional “tips.”
“…If the management changes, all them are alive again,” a TikToker shared.
“Yeah I totally have 8 alive grandparents which includes step family ones and actual relative ones 100%,” another contributed.
“And more aunts and uncles than anyone thought possible,” another user stated.
“Also the words ‘My kid has a temp’ is both truthful and a great excuse. Not your fault they assumed it was higher than normal, but kid still has temp,” a fourth noted.
In some cases, however, TikTokers admitted that this trick wouldn’t function in their workplace.
“My work asks for proof via an obit piece in the paper (even tho they cost money and not everyone opts to pay for one),” a commenter alleged.
“Welcome to Germany where you have to prove with a death certificate,” user wrote another.
The Daily Dot reached out to Zach via Instagram direct message.
Update 10:48am CT, June 24: In an Instagram DM exchange with Daily Dot, Zach says that he’s never actually attempted this trick himself.
“Well, I had this idea for a while in my head, but never done it in my personal life,” he wrote. “A week ago, I was on Twitter and saw someone asking on a random meme post if it was ok to lie about your grandparents being alive or not. I found it pretty funny, and thought it would make a good TikTok.”
He also wanted to clarify that his series is intended as a joke.
“I’m not a ‘motherf*cker’ at all irl,” he explained. “My TikToks only suggest what you would do if you were a bad person, but I don’t encourage people to take that seriously!”
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