Chucking a sickie can ‘mask deeper issues’

New research from Employment Hero shows the number of Australians claiming sick leave without actually being unwell, which the provider says is indicative of bigger problems for employers.

The Employment Uncovered survey, commissioned by Employment Hero and One Poll, and based on responses from 1,000 Australian workers, has found that 52 per cent admitted to chucking a “sickie” in 2025, with 34 per cent doing so more than once.

This means, the provider said, that more than seven and a half million Australian workers have taken sick leave without actually feeling unwell.

With the median hourly wage sitting at around $45 an hour, the economic impact of sickies in 2025 was at least $4.3 billion, Employment Hero said.

Only one in ten workers said they took a sick day for social reasons, and the leading driver was mental and emotional burnout, cited by 48 per cent of respondents.

“For some Australians, sick days are not even a break. They are a way to keep up,” the provider said.

The survey also found that 43 per cent of workers missed out on some of their annual leave in 2025; 54 per cent searched for a new job this year; 26 per cent said securing their current role was difficult; and 56 per cent say the worst part of job hunting is being ghosted by employers.

In a conversation with HR Leader, Employment Hero global head of people and culture Liam D’Ortenzio (pictured) said: “Feeling overwhelmed is very real for millions of Aussies, particularly at this time of year. While taking a sick day is sometimes necessary, relying on it as the first response can mask deeper issues.”

“We’re seeing more employers introducing proactive and cost-effective wellbeing support, from confidential mental health services to wellbeing leave, and increasingly leveraging technology to enable early intervention so their teams can reset early and stay healthy, not just soldier on,” he said.

“These supports also create a natural prompt for meaningful conversations about how people are really going, long before things escalate,” D’Ortenzio continued.

“Regular, genuine check-ins between managers and their teams play an important role in prevention.”

Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Momentum Media’s professional services suite, encompassing Lawyers Weekly, HR Leader, Accountants Daily, and Accounting Times. He has worked as a journalist and podcast host at Momentum Media since February 2018. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.