The SuperCheats Top 10 Launch Day Excuses

08. You need a mental health day

Thanks to nearly a decade of normally sane and rational adults being told to get in touch with their emotions, and stacks of self-help books that place attitude above capabilities, would it shock you to learn that a lot of companies allow scheduled mental health days?

According to our HR Manager sources they do! Because stress is a killer - and when an employee approaches burn-out, it is not just their productivity that suffers...

That said though, there are rules you have to follow to use this one, and you have to be careful if HR is aware that you are a gamer, because they might actually put two-and-two together... And playing a launch-day game is NOT recognized therapy. We're just saying.

Caption: The Joker could tell you a thing or three about needing a Mental Health Day! Right? Right? Too right mates!

The key to using this one successfully is you are basically getting a legitimate day off that has the total support of HR. They not only accept this as a legitimate reason, they want you to maximize any benefits you can get from it!

That said though, there are some unwritten rules you have to follow, and one of them is to schedule the mental health day in advance, so you don't leave co-workers in the lurch. HR really does not like surprises like that.

One of the HRs told us about their experience with what they considered a really good example for this - an employee whose sister offered to take them to the spa for relaxation therapy. Sure, this excuse does not really require backstopping but hey, it can't hurt.

That said though, we suspect that this one is really more appropriate for the Grrl Gamers out there; from what the various HRs said from companies that have this as a legit excuse, men don't use it often.

A really nice touch if you go the spa-day route that will also get you in good with HR is to pick up some fancy nice-smelling spa thingy - and gift it to your HR Manager the next day. They will love you for it!