Think your boss is strict about attendance? Try Ancient Egypt.

Long before digital HR software or employee punch cards, Egyptian workers had their sick days painstakingly recorded on stone tablets. One remarkable example a 3,200-year-old limestone ostracon dating to 1250 BCE, under Pharaoh Ramses II offers a detailed snapshot of how workers in Ancient Egypt managed their time off.

Yes, even in the shadow of the pyramids, people were calling in sick… or taking time off to brew beer.

The First HR Spreadsheet?

This tablet, held by The British Museum, is a limestone ostracon covered in red and black hieratic script, the cursive form of Ancient Egyptian writing. It’s labeled “Year 40” of Ramses II’s reign and meticulously lists the names of 40 workers, their attendance records, and crucially their reasons for missing work.

Some of the excuses sound familiar:

• “Ill with his eye” (Huynefer, repeatedly)
• “Mother was ill” (Pennub)
• “Bitten by a scorpion” (Seba)

Others might raise eyebrows today:

• “Wife or daughter bleeding” (a reference to menstruation)
• “Brewing beer”
• “Helping the scribe”
• “Fetching stone”

Still others reflect the emotional weight of the time:

• “Embalming and wrapping his father” a necessary ritual in a culture where the afterlife loomed large.

Work-Life Balance, 1250 BCE Style

What’s fascinating is how deeply human these records are. Whether it was caring for a sick parent or stepping up during a spouse’s menstruation, these workers navigated the same work-life conflicts we do today.

Ancient Egypt saw beer not just as a beverage, but as a vital staple and brewing it was considered a legitimate reason to take the day off. The entries also suggest a certain respect for family obligations, and even perhaps a nod toward gender equity in domestic responsibilities.

And let’s be honest “bitten by a scorpion” is still a better excuse than “my WiFi was down.”

Why It Matters

This 3,200-year-old record proves that ancient laborers had organized work structures, attendance systems, and even acceptable reasons for paid leave thousands of years before labor laws.

It’s a reminder that empathy, family responsibilities, and personal health have long shaped the lives of working people. And maybe, just maybe, we’re not so far removed from our ancestors.