Ancient Egypt | This work register from 1250 BC reveals striking similarities to modern staff absences

We think of HR and people management as a fairly modern practice, one predated by centuries - millennia, even - of harsh working conditions, low pay, and scant health & safety.

And while that’s mostly true, it appears that even in the ancient world, workers had their own methods for managing work absences. 

Recently, news has emerged of a limestone tablet, dating back to around 1250 BC, which offers a fascinating glimpse into the reasons why ancient Egyptians missed work. This historic register, detailing absences with explanations that range from the mundane to the extraordinary, serves as a delightful reminder that calling in sick is a tradition as old as civilisation itself.

A glimpse into the past

The limestone tablet, or ostracon, is held by the British Museum and provides a detailed record of the daily comings and goings of workers in ancient Thebes during the reign of Ramses II.

The artefact, which is roughly 38.5cm high and 33cm wide, bears inscriptions covering both the front and back, written in New Egyptian hieratic (Not the more commonly known Egyptian form of writing which, frustratingly for this writer, would've made for an excellent 'HR-oglyphs' headline).