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Seven out of ten Australians admit to taking sick days when they’re actually well. This practice is costing businesses a staggering $7.3 billion annually due to lost productivity, accumulating to 24.6 million days of absence. Excluding mental health days, 68 percent of Australians still report having pretended to be ill.
The main reason people fabricate sick days is insufficient sleep, with one-third of respondents claiming they took a day off for this reason in the past year. Following this, 27 percent wanted some time to relax and recharge, while 23.1 percent needed a mental health day.
The survey highlighted some gender differences. Women were more inclined to take a mental health day (26.6 percent of women versus 19.5 percent of men). Additionally, women were more likely to take leave for family care, such as looking after children (20.1 percent compared to 16.3 percent of men).
Younger Aussies more likely to “chuck a sickie”
The study suggests that people fake sick days less often as they get older. Younger generations, especially those aged 18-24, are most likely to miss work because they’re tired (44.1 percent). Interestingly, people aged 25-34 were the most likely group overall to take a sick day for reasons other than actual illness, with 84.5 percent admitting to it.
