ARTICLE · 14 FEBRUARY 2017

Chucking a sickie: a workplace entitlement or grounds for disciplinary action?

Walter Baden

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Employers should be cautious, but there are steps that can be taken if suspected misuse of personal leave is an issue.

AustraliaEmployment and HR

Alecia Thompson

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Managing the taking of employees' personal leave can be a tricky process, especially when an employee takes regular sick days and the business suspects that they are not genuinely ill and are instead 'chucking a sickie'. In Australia, taking a sickie has unfortunately become a part of many workplace cultures, with some employees believing that it is their workplace entitlement to take a sick day whenever they feel like it, whether it is because they want to enjoy a long weekend by taking Friday or Monday off or because they just can't face the idea of going to work. However, despite the fact that many managers assume that they can't take any action against an employee who they suspect might be misusing their personal leave, there are steps that businesses can take to address the issue.

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