The sickie: A cultural phenomenon

Research has found that 8.3 million Aussies have chucked a sickie in the past year, costing employers $3.4 billion in lost productivity.

For its survey, Finder received responses from 1,004 Australians in September 2025. Its research found that nearly two in five Australians (39 per cent) took a sick day in the past 12 months without a diagnosis. This proportion is equivalent to 8.3 million people, costing employers approximately $402 per worker, per day. As a result, Australian organisations incurred up to $3.4 billion in losses in the past year.

Finder money expert Angus Kidman said: “[It’s] a reflection of how stretched households have become.”

It shows that HR departments should rethink how they manage wellbeing, he added, as the cost of burnout and disengagement is far higher than the $402 businesses lose for a worker on sick leave.

Kidman proposed that costs and having no spare time could be potential factors leading workers to chuck a sickie, with the research revealing that respondents used their sick days to catch up on “life admin” or care duties.

Kidman noted that many Aussies stretched the definition of “sick”. The reasons respondents “chucked a sickie” varied, with many resembling time off, as opposed to a doctor’s appointment. Nearly one in five (19 per cent) took a sick day just to have a day off, one in eight (13 per cent) called in sick to go shopping, and nearly one in 10 (8 per cent) took a sick day off to “hang out with a mate”, the research revealed.

Based on its findings, Kidman noted that a lot of workers have used their sick leave as a free day out. Seven per cent of respondents reported going to the beach on a sick day, one in 20 (five per cent) reported starting their holiday early, while 4 per cent simply used it to attend a sporting event, and the same proportion took the day off to gamble.

Kidman highlighted that respondents used sick days off to care for loved ones (including themselves). Its research showed that 12 per cent of respondents used a sick day to take care of a sick family member, 7 per cent used the day to take care of a pet, and 6 per cent took their sick day off to sleep in.

“A lot of workers are treating sick leave as a personal bonus day. It might feel harmless, but it chips away at trust and productivity,” Kidman said.