Sick leave is leave that employees can take when they can’t attend work because they are sick or injured; however, the Australian ‘sickie’ originally in work agreements to protect sick workers from pay reduction has turned into a national pastime without any consequences for the impact that this theft has on business. Stealing time that you are not entitled to — the sickie — is so entrenched in the work culture in Australia that it is seen as an entitlement. Employers struggle with the fine line of trust and betrayal. Should employees need to produce a doctor’s certificate for a missed day? This puts considerable pressure on the health system for what could be a genuine sickness — say, a migraine that only needs sleep and medication. Is this a deterrent for workers if they have to spend half their day going to the doctor?

According to a 2016 survey by Clipp, Australia Day is the most popular day of the year to take a sickie. In fact, Australia Day in 2016 was projected to cost employers $62 million, as workers gave themselves an unofficial long weekend ahead of the Tuesday public holiday. It was estimated that more than 180 000 people nationwide were expected to dial in a sickie. A lack of flexibility in an organisation can cause an increase in the sick leave rate. An employee requesting two hours to go to the dentist reflects a need, and the time can be made up if permitted by managers. However, refusing this request could result in a full day off and the lost productivity that entails.

QUESTIONS

1. Do you take sickies? Why or why not? Would your perspective change as a manager, as opposed to being an employee?

2. Many organisations have very generous leave plans for their employees. Do you think that this approach will ultimately reduce the abuse of sick leave?

3. How do you counter your employee’s statement, ‘It’s part of the Australian culture’?

4. What approaches could managers take to reduce a high sick leave cost to the bottom line?