The British Museum has a tablet that details why 40 employees in ancient Egypt missed work 3,270 years ago?
This limestone โostraconโ is a register of attendance from โYear 40 of Ramses IIโ that offers a fascinating glimpse into work-life balance in Thebes in 1250 BC.
Here are three common reasons for employee absences, translated directly from the tablet:
โข โBrewing beerโ
โข โHis wife/daughter was bleedingโ (i.e., menstruating).
โข โThe scorpion bit himโ