How many days were you absent from work last year?

"I think I missed ten days, counting vacation time. Of those, five were for my vacation. For three days, I was excused under a doctor's note. The other two absences were pre-approved family days."

"I come from the old school way of thinking where if you aren't in the hospital, you show up to work. I can honestly say that the last sick day I took was about six years ago. I expect dedication from my employees which I first need to demonstrate."

"My current employer allows us to work from home if we aren't feeling well. I take my laptop with me nearly every day anyway so if there is a day that I am under the weather, and potentially contagious, I will work from home. This past year that has happened only twice."

"This past year I missed three consecutive days due to illness. I am very dedicated to my projects, and my employer. I had strep throat and still worked from home!"

"Missing a day of work is a challenge for me since I am responsible for locating my substitute teacher and I have to pay them from my budget. For this reason, and the fact that I am a dedicated and truthful person, I will only call in sick in dire situations. Through my six-year career as a teacher, I have called in sick just a handful of times. Thank goodness for ColdFX and immunity boosting vitamins!"

The interviewer would like to know about your dedication to being present and on time. A part of being a diligent employee is to ensure that you are always on time and present when expected. It's great to even be 10 minutes early rather than just showing up right on the dot. Talk to the interviewer about your attendance.

"I had zero unexcused absences last year. In total, I took 12 vacation days out of my 15 allotted days. I was sick just 2, and a note from my Doctor accompanied those. Once I was late due to a terrible snow storm, and I always try to be 10 minutes early for my shift."