Seven in 10 Aussies admit to faking sickie in past year

Sleep, hangovers and general leisure were some of the reasons for Aussie workers committing this act in the past year.

Seventy per cent of Australians faked a sick day at work in the past year when they were not actually unwell, a new study has found

It was estimated sickies cost Australian businesses $7.3bn a year in lost productivity and 24.6 million days off.

The study conducted by iSelect found the most common reasons people took a sick day were a lack of sleep, to relax and recharge, mental health or personal issues to deal with family, or relationship problems.

The health insurance comparison service found when mental health issues were counted as personal leave, 68 per cent of Australians still admitted to taking a fake sick day.

About 4 per cent of Australians had a day off last year because it was raining or too hot. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The highest proportion of people pulling a sickie were workers aged 25 to 34 (84.5 per cent).

The most significant difference between men and women surveyed was that 26.6 per cent of women used a sick day for a mental health day compared with 19.5 per cent of men.

Men 12.9 (per cent) were more likely to take a sick day because they were hungover compared with women (8.5 per cent), but twice as many women (20 per cent) were more likely to take the day off to care for children than men.

About 4.6 per cent of Australian workers took a sick day in the past year to attend an event when they did not book annual leave. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Other excuses revealed some workers took sick days to attend a special event or they just wanted the day off for general leisure. Others avoided meetings or did not want to go to work because it was raining.

iSelect general manager of health Andres Gutierrez said the research found it was very common for Australians to take a sickie at least once a year despite not being physically ill.

“A lack of sleep, wanting to relax and recharge, and mental health are the top three reasons, highlighting how some Australians might choose to prioritise self-care,” he said.

“If you’re finding it tough to get a good night’s sleep or you’re dealing with mental health challenges, it’s important to reach out for support.”

Originally published as Seven in 10 Aussies admit to faking sickie in past year