WHILE many Bathurst residents will bust out the barbecues and crack a cold one with their mates this Australia Day, they’re being reminded Friday is not a public holiday and therefore it is not a long weekend.
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And for those of you who think of taking a sneaky “sickie” on Friday, the state’s peak business organisation wants you to think again.
“The message to anyone who takes a ‘sickie’ on the Friday after Australia Day is that it is not going to go unnoticed by their employer or their colleagues and it is likely to damage your professional reputation,” Western NSW Business Chamber regional manager Vicki Seccombe said.
“This time of year our membership advice line receives a lot of calls from employers concerned about their employees breaching leave policies.
“Nobody is fooled by the long weekend ‘sickie’.”
“Employers are urging workers to do the right thing by using leave or another entitlement if they are seeking an extra break.”
Ms Seccombe said having the conversation next week on the eve of Australia Day is too late.
“While you may think taking a sickie is harmless fun following a public holiday, your colleagues won’t be as thrilled in having to pick up the slack,” Ms Seccombe said.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show public sector workers take an average of eight to nine days of sick leave annually.
- This poll is anonymous – if you are taking a sickie and answer yes, your boss will never know
