Thousands of Aussies are expected to call in 'sick' this Friday, costing Australia $461 million
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In light of Thursday being declared a National Day of Mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II, businesses throughout the country are preparing for employees to request time off or call in sick on Friday.
A new analysis from the comparison website Finder says that if thousands of Australian workers take sick leave this Friday, it could cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars in lost 'productivity'.
Research by Finder, based on a representative sample of 1,060 adults in Australia, found that 1.7 per cent of the workforce have phoned in sick due to issues unrelated to health so far this year, at a cost of $354 per employee, per day.
Businesses are already bracing for a financial hit from the unexpected public holiday, and if a large number of employees don't show up to work on Friday, it could cost them more than $461 million in missed economic output.
This Friday's work absences may cost businesses hundreds of millions of dollars. Credit: Janie Barrett.
'Workers are trying to take advantage of the bonus public holiday by turning it into an extra long weekend,' said Taylor Blackburn, Personal Finance Specialist at Finder.
'This is how Black Friday got its name in the US. With the Thanksgiving holiday always on Thursday, many workers would not come in on Friday; hence it was a dark day for owners.'
Finder discovered that 16 per cent of Australians have taken a mental health day this year, 13 per cent have taken the day off for no particular reason, and 11 per cent have called in sick to take care of a sick family member.
Also, this year, 18 per cent of Australians have not taken a single sick day so far.
Blackburn added that while the pleasant weather would inspire Australians to take a mental health day, requesting sick time should be treated with more gravity.
'Your sick leave should be viewed as a safety net for serious injury or illness in most cases, but there are times when taking a day for yourself is healthy.'
On the other hand, the secretary of the Unions NSW, Mark Morey, stated that businesses have to provide workers with time off to rest.
'The pay of Australian workers is going backwards, and many are also working vast hours of unpaid overtime each year,' said Mr Morey.
'Intelligent employers should therefore use a bit of common sense and let people have the day off, to give them a rest and boost morale. This Friday is sandwiched between a public holiday and the school holidays, and unless someone is doing essential, life-saving work—it's a good opportunity for them to reconnect with family and friends and take a break.'
Officials are arguing that workers should be allowed to have Friday off as well. Credit: Getty Images.
What do you think, folks? Even though most of you have probably already retired from your working life, do you agree that workers should get Friday off as well as Thursday for the holiday? Or do you think that after the Queen's memorial, businesses should carry on as usual?
We'd love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts with us in the comments!
A new analysis from the comparison website Finder says that if thousands of Australian workers take sick leave this Friday, it could cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars in lost 'productivity'.
Research by Finder, based on a representative sample of 1,060 adults in Australia, found that 1.7 per cent of the workforce have phoned in sick due to issues unrelated to health so far this year, at a cost of $354 per employee, per day.
Businesses are already bracing for a financial hit from the unexpected public holiday, and if a large number of employees don't show up to work on Friday, it could cost them more than $461 million in missed economic output.
This Friday's work absences may cost businesses hundreds of millions of dollars. Credit: Janie Barrett.
'Workers are trying to take advantage of the bonus public holiday by turning it into an extra long weekend,' said Taylor Blackburn, Personal Finance Specialist at Finder.
'This is how Black Friday got its name in the US. With the Thanksgiving holiday always on Thursday, many workers would not come in on Friday; hence it was a dark day for owners.'
Finder discovered that 16 per cent of Australians have taken a mental health day this year, 13 per cent have taken the day off for no particular reason, and 11 per cent have called in sick to take care of a sick family member.
Also, this year, 18 per cent of Australians have not taken a single sick day so far.
Blackburn added that while the pleasant weather would inspire Australians to take a mental health day, requesting sick time should be treated with more gravity.
'Your sick leave should be viewed as a safety net for serious injury or illness in most cases, but there are times when taking a day for yourself is healthy.'
On the other hand, the secretary of the Unions NSW, Mark Morey, stated that businesses have to provide workers with time off to rest.
'The pay of Australian workers is going backwards, and many are also working vast hours of unpaid overtime each year,' said Mr Morey.
'Intelligent employers should therefore use a bit of common sense and let people have the day off, to give them a rest and boost morale. This Friday is sandwiched between a public holiday and the school holidays, and unless someone is doing essential, life-saving work—it's a good opportunity for them to reconnect with family and friends and take a break.'
Officials are arguing that workers should be allowed to have Friday off as well. Credit: Getty Images.
What do you think, folks? Even though most of you have probably already retired from your working life, do you agree that workers should get Friday off as well as Thursday for the holiday? Or do you think that after the Queen's memorial, businesses should carry on as usual?
We'd love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts with us in the comments!
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