Two in five nine.com.au readers want Australia to adopt divisive new sick day rule

Exclusive: A surprising number of Australians would welcome strict new rules for workers who call in sick, according to an exclusive nine.com.au reader survey.

Germany sparked controversy this week when it announced it will require workers who call in sick to get a doctor’s certificate in person on the first day they are unwell.

Two in five nine.com.au said they would support the Australian government implementing the same rules in an exclusive survey.

“As a former payroll coordinator in regard to sick leave, I think staff should have to supply a doctor’s certificate,” one reader told nine.com.au.

“Many workers just abuse the system by taking one day a month. They should have to supply a certificate.”

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Skipper: mskipper@nine.com.au

Read more

Germany bans workers from calling in sick without proof

Of the 1067 Aussie readers surveyed, 44 per cent said they were opposed to the idea.

“It means people who are mildly sick and contagious with a basic cold now need to waste time, money, energy and resources going to the doctor just to be told they have a cold,” one said.

“It just clogs up the medical system for everyone else.”

A further 16 per cent said it would depend on the circumstances, such as how serious the illness is and if the employee calls out sick frequently.

“Not everything is serious enough to go to the doctor, and it’s impossible to get appointments that aren’t weeks in advance,” one said.

All employees in Australia, except casuals, are entitled to paid sick leave under the National Employment Standards.

Full-time employees get 10 days per year and part-time employees get pro-rata entitlements.

There’s no standard rule requiring Aussie employees to provide evidence when they take a sick day, but workers must show proof like a doctor’s certificate if requested by their employer.

Some employers also enforce sick leave policies requiring employees to provide proof in specific circumstances, such as when they take a sick day on a Monday or Friday, or over more than two consecutive days.

Many nine.com.au readers think the current rules are too lax.

More than 40 per cent said Australia should enforce stricter laws around workers taking sick leave.

Five per cent said the existing regulations should be relaxed, while 53 per cent said they’re happy with the rules as they are.

The nine.com.au poll, which runs once a fortnight, canvases the views of the Nine audience on Idea Xchange, which is an online community of our readers and viewers. Learn more and sign up here.