Calling in sick to work is apparently an
ancient tradition. Whether its the sniffles or a scorpion bite, somedays
you just can't make it. As it turns out, Ancient Egyptian employers
kept track of employee days off in registers written on tablets. A tablet
held by The British Museum and dating to 1250 BCE is an incredible
window into ancient work-life balance. The 40 employees listed are
marked for each day they missed, with reasons ranging from illness to
family obligations.
The tablet, known as an ostracon, is made of limestone with
New Egyptian hieratic script inked in red and black. The days are marked
by season and number, such as “month 4 of Winter, day 24.” On that
date, a worker named Pennub missed work because his mother was ill.
Other employees were absent due to their own illnesses. One Huynefer was
frequently “suffering with his eye.” Seba, meanwhile, was bit by a
scorpion. Several employees also had to take time off to embalm and wrap
their deceased relatives.
Some reasons may seem strange to modern ears. “Brewing beer” is a common excuse. Beer
was a daily fortifying drink in Egypt and was even associated with gods
such as Hathor. As such, brewing beer was a very important activity.
Fetching stones or helping the scribe also took time in the workers'
lives. Another reason is “wife or daughter bleeding.” This is a
reference to menstruation. Clearly men were needed on the home front to
pick up some slack during this time. While one's wife menstruating is
not an excuse one hears nowadays, certainly the ancients seem to have
had a similar work-life juggling act to perform.
The Ancient Egyptians kept track of work absences, and the reasons range from embalming relatives to brewing beer.
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