Friday April 26 is expected to be the biggest day of the year to pull a "sickie" in Australia - and business groups are warning it could cost small employers the most.
With a regular work day squashed between a public holiday (Anzac Day) and the weekend, many workers across the ditch have opted to create a four-day weekend for themselves by taking sick leave on Friday.
Jessica Tinsley from Australia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry said personal leave is intended for those "genuinely unfit for work".
"While some Aussies may think that chucking the odd sickie is a bit of fun, the truth is that it hurts small business and is against the law," she said, according to news.com.au.
In Australia, an employer can ask staff to provide evidence if they can't work due to illness or injury - such as a medical certificate. But they could also lose sick leave entitlements if they can't give evidence.
Tinsley suggested taking annual leave instead.
Luke Achterstraat, boss of Australia's Small Business Council, agreed with Tinsley, saying Australia has a "casual culture" of pulling sickies.
"But it's important to remember for small businesses that comes with a real financial cost," he added, as reported by news.com.au.
Cafes, restaurants, and other roster-based small businesses would see higher rates of staff calling in sick than most, Achterstraat said.
"When someone else is paying for it, it sounds like a good idea. But in reality, we know it has a real impact for small business."
Co-founder of medical certificate platform Sicky Avinash Vazirani said they expect sick leave requests to be 53 percent higher on Friday April 26 compared to other Fridays.
"Quite often it's because our patients have over indulged or have interacted with infectious people while socialising," he told news.com.au.
Aussie financial company Finder says workers taking sick leave on a Friday immediately after a public holiday could cost the economy up to AU$460 million in lost productivity.
