Employers fear 'The People's Day' will become 'The People's Sick Day', following Wednesday's Ekka Celebrations.

Brisbane recruitment company Employment Office recently conducted an online poll with over 200 respondents, in which 40% admitted to ‘chucking a sickie’ (i.e. taking a fraudulent sick day) after a public holiday at least once, with over 10% confessing they made a habit of it.

Employment Office Managing Director Tudor Marsden-Huggins urges employees planning to take Thursday off under the guise of illness to think twice before calling the boss with a fake cough.

“Sick days cost the Queensland economy billions of dollars, and prove costly for the employer, colleagues and ultimately affects the professional reputation of the employee – no one is a winner,” Mr Marsden-Huggins says.

He suggests there are key measures employers can take to ensure their employees turn out in force on Thursday.

“Heading back to the office after any amount of time off can be a difficult pill for employees to swallow, so where possible provide an enticement to stop people from chucking sickies, and encourage them back into the workplace.

“At Employment Office, we’ll be having a casual Thursday allowing staff to come to work comfortable while raising money for charity, as well as offering a 3-course catered lunch at our Taringa head office,” he says.

Popular Brisbane events held on the EKKA Show Holiday, including the race day at Eagle Farm will ultimately encourage people to take an extra-long weekend, but Mr Marsden-Huggins says bosses should be confident in asking for proof when in doubt.

“Most companies will have a policy which states any sick day taken either side of a public holiday must be accompanied by a medical certificate, and if you ever doubt the legitimacy of an employee’s illness, asking for a medical certificate is appropriate.

“At the end of day, sick leave is separate from annual leave although many employees are beginning to see it as one in the same – policies are there for a reason and should be enforced where necessary,” Mr Marsden-Huggins says.

Employment Office operates offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, London, Vancouver and Toronto.