A recent survey indicates that a significant portion of Australians, approximately 70%, admit to taking sick leave even when they are not unwell. This trend is reportedly costing businesses an astounding $7.3 billion annually, translating to about 24.6 million days off work. Even excluding mental health considerations, around 68% of respondents confessed to having feigned illness.
This data, sourced from a survey conducted by iSelect involving 1,000 Australians, sheds light on the motivations behind this behaviour. The primary reason cited for taking a sick day was a lack of sleep, with one-third of participants reporting that they had a day off for this reason in the past year. Following closely were individuals who wanted time to relax and recharge (27%) and those seeking mental health days (23.1%).
Gender differences were also highlighted: women are more inclined to take mental health days (26.6% compared to 19.5% of men) and are more likely to take time off for family care (20.1% versus 16.3% of men).
Interestingly, younger workers were found to be more likely to take unexcused sick days. Among those aged 18 to 24, 44.1% attributed their absence to fatigue. Moreover, the age group of 25 to 34 made up the majority of those who openly admitted to taking sick days for reasons unrelated to illness, with a notable 84.5% confessing to this practice.
In conclusion, while the figures showcase the extent of this phenomenon in Australian workplaces, they also underscore the pressing need for improved workplace policies that better accommodate mental health and personal time, possibly reducing the necessity for employees to resort to fabricating reasons for absence.