Besides vacation and holiday time, how many days were you absent from work last year?

Focus on sharing the exact number of days you missed work and why. If the interviewer deems your absence from work an excused and unavoidable reason to miss work, it will likely not be an issue. If you have many unexcused absences, they may disqualify you as a viable candidate.

Avoid saying you cannot remember how often you missed work or answering untruthfully. The interviewer will likely contact your former employer for a reference and ask them the same question. It is best to be honest and explain any absences from work in the past year, allowing the interviewer to decide if your reasons were unavoidable or not.

"I was absent from work three days last year. I had a house fire that destroyed everything. My supervisor told me to take as much personal time as needed to take care of matters. It took three days to file a claim with the insurance company, work with arson investigators, and find temporary housing and clothing for my family."