How many times did you miss work last year, and why?

You want to be honest in your response, but you may not be looked at as a favorable candidate if you called out from work repeatedly. Avoid answering that you missed work because the company cheated you out of paying overtime or that you felt entitled to take days off. You do not want to speak negatively of your previous employer under any circumstance.

"I missed work seven days last year when I used my vacation time, which was mandatory to use every year. It would not roll into the following year if I did not use my time. I also missed work three days when my father died, and I was able to use family leave time to go to the funeral."