Egyptian tablet from 1250 BC shows people called in sick at work for silly reason too

Taking sick leave is nothing new for employees. In fact, the practice has existed for centuries. A tablet from 1250 BCE, now housed in the British Museum, recorded the sick days and leave taken by Egyptian workers. According to My Modern Met, the tablet, known as an Ostracon, listed workers’ names and reasons for their absences. While many excuses resemble those of today, some are quite surprising.

The tablet documented 40 workers, listing their names and dates of absence marked in red, according to Medium. Some reasons were typical, like illness or caring for family, but others were more unusual. Several workers, for instance, reported being stung by scorpions. The list, translated into English, included over 20 reasons. One entry read, “Horneffer: Winter, 2nd month, 13th day-17th day (With the boss).”

Another worker had quite a few entries of absence. They were recorded as “Sawadjyt: Spring, 3rd month, 23rd day-24th day (With the boss), Spring, 4th month, 16th day (Daughter had her period), Winter, 1st month, 14th day-15th day (Offering to the God), Winter, 1st month, 24th day-25th day (Libation for father), 26th day-28th day (With the boss).” Being with the boss or carrying out tasks for the boss was another repetitive reason for absence among workers. Another record is that of menstruation of the women in the family. The latter was taken from a different perspective back then and men were required to be home during this time.

Other records consisted of building the house, looking after parents and having other chores and tasks to do. Workers even excused themselves to make offerings to God and other traditional practices or rituals as per the importance at the time. However, the most stunning reasons were the mummification of family members and beer brewing. While the former is no longer used in today’s corporate world, the latter could cause havoc if used as an excuse! However, for Egyptians, both tasks were crucial back in the day. Mummification was done as a traditional practice among Egyptians. Brewing beer was considered a duty since it is said to have been the daily drink. The beverage was deemed a principal food and was consumed for celebrations and festivals, per the British Museum.

Workers at pyramids relied on beer and were granted 10 pints daily. Apart from its heavy consumption, it was also associated with the Egyptian Gods. Hathor, the goddess of love, dance and beauty, was also known as “The Lady of Drunkenness.” Given beer's importance, it's understandable that workers were excused to brew it. While several excuses resonate even today, many offer a dive into the Egyptians’ rich culture and lifestyle. @AlisonFisk shared a post on X with an image of the tablet. She wrote, “Reasons recorded for worker absence on this 3,200-year-old ancient Egyptian attendance register include ‘brewing beer,’ ‘stung by a scorpion’ and ‘embalming brother!’”

Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 24, 2024. It has since been updated.