2 In 3 Australians Say Guilt Or Workload Keeps Them From Taking Sick Leave

A new survey from people2people recruitment has found many Australians are still pushing through illness instead of staying home, with nearly two thirds saying the main reason they work while sick is because they feel too busy or too guilty to take sick leave.

Among respondents who answered the question, 30% said they were too busy to take sick leave and 35% said they felt guilty, making workload and guilt the two biggest drivers of presenteeism. A further 20% said fear of judgment was the biggest reason they worked while sick.

Key findings:

• 65% said the biggest reason they work while sick is because they feel too busy (30%) or guilty (35%)
• 20% said fear of judgment was the main reason they worked while sick
• 81% said flu shots should be offered free at work
• 37% had received a flu vaccine in the past 12 months, while 63% had not
• 24% said they had used 10 days or more of their sick leave allowance in the past year
• Among those with no sick leave left, 61% said they still went to work while unwell multiple times
• 37% of respondents said they were either uncomfortable telling their manager they were too sick to work or avoided saying it altogether

"These findings suggest many Australians still do not feel fully comfortable stepping away from work when they are sick," says Suhini Wijayasinghe, Head of HR Solutions at people2people recruitment. "When employees say they feel too busy, too guilty, or worried about being judged for taking sick leave, it shows that presenteeism is still being driven by workplace pressure and culture." 

The survey also found strong support for better workplace health measures, with 81% of respondents saying flu shots should be offered free at work, and a further 3% saying they should at least be discounted.

Despite that, vaccination rates remain relatively low. Just 37% of respondents said they had received a flu vaccine in the past 12 months, while 54% said they had not, and 9% said they planned to but forgot.

"There is a clear gap between support for workplace flu shots and actual vaccination behaviour," says Wijayasinghe. "That presents a real opportunity for employers to make preventative health measures more accessible and normalised in the workplace."

The research also highlights how common it is for workers to stretch limited leave entitlements. While 62% of respondents said they had used less than three days of their 10-day sick leave allowance over the past year, almost one in four (24%) said they had used 10 days or more.

Among those who had no remaining sick leave, 61% said they had still gone to work while feeling unwell multiple times, while another 8% said they had done so once.

That pressure may also be linked to how comfortable people feel speaking up. Of those who answered, 43% said they felt very comfortable telling their manager they were too sick to work, but 25% said they felt uncomfortable and 12% said they avoided saying it altogether.

One survey respondent summed up the divide clearly: "Never used sick days, until an operation. Thankfully never became sick, seemed to avoid most things. Sick days are a blessing and we are a lucky country to have allocated days. I feel for casual workers because they don't have that safety net."

The comment reflects a broader concern in the findings: while permanent employees may have access to paid leave, many workers still feel unable to use it, and others, particularly casual workers, may not have that protection at all.

"Sick leave is not just a policy issue, it is also a workplace culture issue," says Wijayasinghe. "If employees do not feel safe using sick leave when they need it, or if they have no safety net to begin with, organisations risk higher transmission, lower productivity, and poorer wellbeing across their workforce."

Survey base: 1,150 Australians. Sample sizes vary by question.

 PR Contact: Lisa Solomons | 360PR | e: lisa@360pr.com.au | m: 0416175518