John MacDonald: Does taking more sick leave mean we're sicker or slacker?

There are two types of people in this world.  

There are the ones who have no qualms calling in sick, when they’re not. The ones who feel no guilt at all pulling a sickie. And it seems there is no shortage of them, with this report out today saying that New Zealand workers are taking more sick leave, costing the economy $4 billion. 

Then you’ve got the other type, who only use their sick leave if they really, really have to. And I’m in that camp. 

If I ever have to have a sick day, I hate it. I know “hate” is a strong word, but I don’t like it. 

I was crook a few weeks back and needed a couple of days off and hated it. Same when I was unwell at one point last year. Hated it. Not because I was unwell, but because I was off. 

And I’ve always felt that way. I don’t know if it’s because I feel like I’m letting people down or feeling bad for being a no-show. Or fear of missing out. Or good old Catholic guilt. 

I don’t know what it is, but that’s just me. 

So don’t go blaming me for these new numbers out today, showing that we are taking way more sick leave than we used to. Because I’m not one of your “pull a sickie” types. 

And maybe that’s why, at various points during my working life, I’ve looked a bit sideways at some people who seem to take sickies at the drop of a hat. 

The Southern Cross Workplace Wellness report out today is blaming the increased number of sick days on the Labour government for increasing sick leave entitlements from five days to 10 days. 

Health experts aren’t so sure about that. They say Covid has made it unacceptable to go to work unwell and there are a lot more viruses around. 

But I think it’s inevitable that if more sick leave is available there’ll be people who will take the mickey.  

The report is based on 2024 data and says the number of sick days taken last year —if you add them all together— was 13 million. Up from a combined total of 10 million in 2022.  

The average number of sick days for manual workers was 7-and-a-half days and for non-manual workers it was just under six days. That's probably no surprise, given the chance of someone doing a manual job getting physically injured and needing time off work. 

The report also says workers in the public sector are having more sick days than people in the private sector. That’s probably not surprising either. Because, from my own personal experience, the public sector seems to be a lot more forgiving or encouraging of people to take sick days. 

Either way, people are calling-in sick more than they used to. Does that mean we are sicker or slacker? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks a'b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
There are two types of people in this world, aren't they?
Two types? They are the ones who have no qualms
at all calling in sick when they're not the ones
who feel no guilt at all pulling a sickie, and
I reckon Those people have been loving it since COVID,
you know, on the blower or got a slightly soret

(00:35):
throat bed not coming, No, no, no, I'll take one for
the team and stay at home. A g org be
in touch, and it seems there is no shortage of them,
with this report out this morning saying that these Zealand
workers are taking more sick leave, costing the economy four

(00:56):
billion dollars. Then you got the other type who only
use their sick leave if they really, really, really have to.
And I'm in that camp. If I ever have to
take a sick day, I hate it. And I know

(01:16):
that hate is a strong word, and I know you
would think, wouldn't you that I would feel grateful. There's
a bit of that in there. But if I'm totally
honest with you, don't like it. I was croc a
few weeks back, I needed a couple of days off.
Hated it, say, when I was unwell. At one point
last year, hated it not because I was unwell, but

(01:40):
because I was off off work. And I've always felt
that way. I don't know if it's because I feel
like I'm letting people down or feeling bad for being
a no show, or whether it's fomo in a fear
of missing out, or good old Catholic guilt. Maybe that's it.
I don't know what it is, but that's just me,

(02:04):
So don't go blame me for these new numbers today
showing that we are taking way more sickly than we
used to and it's costing the country billions. Because I
am not one of you pull a sickie types. That's
not me, and maybe that's why at various points during
my working life, I've looked a bit sideways at some
people who just seem to take sickies at the drop

(02:26):
of a hat. And we've all known people like that,
haven't we. The Southern Cross Workplace Wellness report out this
morning is blaming the increased number of sick days on
the labor government. Oh you, why is that for increasing
sick leave entitlements from five days to ten days. The
health experts, though, they're not quite so sure about that.

(02:48):
They say that COVID has made it unacceptable to go
to work when you're unwell, and there are also a
lot more viruses around. So the health people are saying
we are genuinely crooker. Crooker Do I say that crooker
generally more unwell, but I reckon it's inevitable that if

(03:09):
more sick leave is available, there will be more people
who will take the mickey. Now, this report is based
on twenty twenty four data, so it's pretty recent, and
it says the number of sick days taken last year,
if you add them all together, was thirteen million. Thirteen
million days up from a combined total of ten million

(03:30):
two years earlier in twenty twenty two, so three million
more in the space of two years. The average number
of six days for manual workers was seven and a
half days, and for non manual workers it was just
under six days. That's probably no surprise a given the
chance of someone doing a manual job getting physically injured

(03:51):
and leading time off work. The Southern Cross Workplace Wellness
Report also says workers in the public sector are having
more sick days than people in the private sector. Generally,
if you're in the public sector, you have two two
days more off crook than other workers. That's probably not

(04:12):
surprising either because, and this is from our own personal
experience working in the public sector at various times, it
seems to me that the public sector is a lot
more forgiving, or it seems to me that the public
sector is a lot more encouraging of people to taxic days.
Either way. Either way, people are calling in sick more
than they us two

Speaker 1 (04:33):
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