Possible Clues:

• Feign illness to avoid work
• Shirk work
• Malinger — make excuses
• Way to avoid duty at sea?
• Invent specious excuses to evade duties
• Skive, as a carefree dog walker might?
• Make excuses to get out of doing something
• Malinger (colloq.)
• Sounds the way to evade duty?
• Manage to get article direct and avoid duty