App helps you lie to your boss

A new app from British firm Gospelware is designed to help unimaginative employees bunk off work.

Skiver asks users how many days off they fancy, and then delivers a selection of plausible illnesses to fit the bill – even listing symptoms to make sure the user has a convincing cover story.

The application then provides an appropriate email that can be sent directly to the boss in explanation – creator Gospelware says that a quarter of employers say they’re happy with a text or an email rather than a phone call.

And for those that aren’t simply hung over, Skiver then accesses Google Maps to find current activities in the user’s area, from music events and cinemas to galleries and museums.

“With Skiver, a sick day will never be wasted lying in bed watching daytime TV again,” says the company.

But the company says that really, it’s all just good fun.

“Of course we are not encouraging people to take unnecessary sick days,” it says. “The app is designed to be a leisure time search function for users to find music, film and cultural activities in their area.”

Skiver is available now on Android, with an iPhone version promised soon.