A new study has revealed the prevalence of employees taking sick leave around public holidays.

The Australian Payroll Association (Australian Payroll Association) surveyed 601 payroll managers across the country’s big and small businesses to gauge how often employees took sick leave around public holidays, including last Easter and Anzac Day, as well as the Christmas holiday period.

Eight-six per cent of payroll managers admitted that at least 1 per cent of employees take a sick day at their organisation before or after public holidays.

Forty-seven per cent said at least five per cent of employees generally take a sick day, and 18 per cent said at least 10 per cent of employees take a sick day.

According to the association, the problem was particularly acute over the last Easter and Anzac Day period, with 26 per cent of organisations seeing at least 10 per cent of their staff taking sick leave during this period.

The survey revealed that the bigger the organisation, the more likely they are to see the sick leave problem around public holidays.

Just 52 per cent of micro businesses (up to 10 employees) see at least 1 per cent of staff taking sick leave around public holidays.

This jumps up to 76 per cent of organisations with 11-50 employees, 86 per cent of organisations with 51-200 employees, 93 per cent of organisations with 201-500 employees, 96 per cent of those with 501-1000 employees, and 97 per cent of those with 1001-5000 employees.

It is also the bigger organisations that see higher rates of sick leave.

Just 14 per cent of SMEs (up to 200 employees) see at least 10 per cent of their workforce take sick leave before or after public holidays.

However, an average of 25 per cent of organisations with 501-10,000 employees see at least 10 per cent of their staff take sick leave around public holidays and Christmas periods.

Carer’s leave is part of the 10-day paid entitlement.

It can only be used if an employee is required to look after a sick immediate family or household member: their spouse, de factor partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling (including the equivalent in blended families), or any household member.

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