FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK is shaping up to be a very popular day for Aussies to give work the flick, according to new research by Australian comparison website Finder. 

The national day of mourning for the late monarch Queen Elizabeth II falls on Thursday September 22, leaving many to believe attendance at work on Friday will be poor.

A new nationally representative survey of 1,060 respondents revealed one-in-eight (13%) Australians – equivalent to 1.7 million workers – have called in sick for a non-health related reason so far this year, at a cost of about $354 per worker, per day.

Consequently, ‘wagging work’ on Friday could cost employers more than $461 million in lost productivity.

Taylor Blackburn, a personal finance specialist at Finder, said employers could be facing a spike in absenteeism this Friday. 

“Workers are trying to take advantage of the bonus public holiday by turning it into an extra long weekend.

“This is how Black Friday got its name in the US – with the Thanksgiving holiday always on Thursday, many workers would not come in on the Friday – hence it was a dark day for owners,” Mr Blackburn said. 

Finder’s survey found 4 percent of Australians have taken a sick day to take care of a pet, while the same number have done so to go shopping.

A small number of Aussies (2%) have 'chucked a sickie' to spend the day at the beach.

Mr Blackburn said good beach conditions can be a tempting reason to take a mental health day.

“Your sick leave should be viewed as a safety net for serious injury or illness in most cases, but there are times when taking a day for yourself is healthy," he said. “A few companies have created a new brand of leave to deal with life that isn’t strictly about running a fever.

“Finder introduced ‘Life Leave’ to give employees time to take a day whenever they need – for their pet, the beach, or a family member – with no questions asked.”

The research found women (17%) were twice as likely as men (9%) to have called in sick just to ‘have a day off’.

An impressive 18 percent of Australians haven’t taken a single sick day so far in 2022, Finder reported.

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) is calling on the Queensland Government to stop stalling and declare New Hope Group's New Acland Stage 3 a prescribed project.

The call follows what the QRC said were unfounded claims by the Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) that the Department of Environment and Science was influenced by New Hope Group to award New Acland Stage 3 its Environmental Authority.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the Department of Environment and Science took more than six months to hand down a decision regarding New Acland Stage 3’s Environmental Authority and its decision had been thoroughly and appropriately considered.

“The Palaszczuk Government needs to have faith in its own processes and not be held to ransom by minority activist groups,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“No resources project in Queensland history has been more scrutinised or assessed than New Acland Stage 3.

“New Hope Group, its workers and the local community have been stuck on a never-ending roundabout for more than 15 years.

“If the relevant government departments and Ministers Stewart (Mining Leases) and Butcher (Associated Water Licence) believe New Acland Stage 3 should go ahead, then they should back themselves. 

“If the Palaszczuk Government believes in its processes and people it needs to declare New Acland Stage 3 a prescribed project," Mr Macfarlane said.

“Otherwise, it is giving an indefinite green light to groups like OCAA, which is backed by the taxpayer-funded Environmental Defenders Office, to challenge every decision. 

“Does the Palaszczuk Government really want New Acland Stage 3 to return to the Land Court for a fourth time, and place at risk hundreds of potential new jobs associated with this project? 

“It’s time for the Government to act decisively.”

www.qrc.org.au

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AUSTRALIAN Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson is using World Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Day (MSME Day, June 27) is calling on Australians to join him today "in saying a big thank you to the women and men running our small and family businesses".

Mr Billson said World MSME Day presented "the perfect chance to applaud the contribution small businesses make to our country".

Mr Billson launched an MSME video of community leaders giving thanks to small business and encouraged people to show their own support.

“These are great people in plain sight, and we see them everywhere, every day,” he said.

“When you stop and think about it, we depend so heavily on the small and family-run businesses in our lives – whether it is the local café, pharmacy, accountant, builder, mechanic or grocer who are conveniently there when you need them. 

“The best way to support small businesses is to be a kindly customer – patient and understanding, with good and generous intent. Small businesses are run by real people who deserve our respect and empathy every day.”

Globally, the United Nations has marked June 27 as MSME Day to raise awareness of the contribution of small businesses to sustainable development and the global economy.

Small businesses provide employment for more than five million Australians – two out of every five people with a private sector job work in a small business.

Small business contributes $483 billion to the Australian economy each year.

Mr Billson said about 38 percent of small businesses are owned by women and in recent years two-thirds of all new businesses have been led by women who are finding solutions to everyday problems, sharing their ideas and building a business from their ingenuity.

“Small business is a dynamic and fast-growing sector that allows people with an entrepreneurial spirit to pursue their dreams,” Mr Billson said.

“We should do more to celebrate the vital and deeply personal commitment made by more than 2.3 million small and family businesses to our community.

“Small business people take on a big and often stressful responsibility. It is not just an enterprise but their life – often their home and mortgage, family and identity are all tied together.”

Mr Billson said the past two years had been particularly hard for small businesses who faced not just shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic, but a series of rolling disasters such as devastating bushfires, ongoing drought conditions and record-breaking flooding in various parts of the country.

“Now small businesses have to navigate crushing supply chain disruptions and leaping input costs, soaring energy bills, higher wage costs and a chronic labour shortage just to keep their doors open and serve their communities,” he said.

Mr Billson also urged small business owners and leaders to not overlook their own mental health during such difficult times.

“This can feel unrelenting and it is vitally important those running a small business look after their emotional well-being and mental health,” he said.

“Sometimes it can be as simple as making time to pause, reflect and reconnect. Talking to trusted advisers and networks is a great way to find solutions.

"Our website www.asbfeo.gov.au and the My Business Health portal have useful tools and resources," Mr Billson said.

"Watch the thank you MSME videos and join us in saying thanks by using our MSME stakeholder pack and learning more about the contribution of small business to our society through MSME small business facts."

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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THE FOLLY of the Labor Party policy to abolish the construction watchdog, the Australian building and Construction Commission (ABCC), has been highlighted by a significant High Court decision, according to Master Builders Australia.

The decision of the High Court to overturn a Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia ruling is "a significant relief for the nation’s $210 billion building and construction sector" according to Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn. Mr Wawn said the High Court decision "brings to an end attempts to erase from history countless examples of bullying, intimidation and other illegal behaviour demonstrated by the CFMEU and other construction unions for decades".

Ms Wawn said, “This is a huge relief for our industry and means that the horrific track record of building unions will be relevant when courts consider penalties for future breaches. 

“Construction unions have a long and sorry history of law breaking, particularly right of entry, misrepresentation and anti-coercion, which far exceeds any other union. This case means that record won’t be erased from history and remains relevant,” she said.

“Over the last five or so years, the ABCC has succeeded in around 98 of 107 cases in the courts, which resulted in around $16 million in penalties for breaches of the law by building unions. Over $14.5 million of these penalties were imposed on the CFMMEU for well over 1600 separate contraventions of workplace laws,” Ms Wawn said.

“To say that a track record like that isn’t relevant misses the point of why we have the ABCC and why it must be retained.

“The High Court decision has backed the reason why we need the ABCC – to ensure that penalties can determined in a way that stops the continuation of the CFMMEU’s history of non-compliance with the law, by making it something that is too expensive to maintain.

“The ALP has promised that the ABCC will be abolished if there is a change of government and this decision should hopefully make them reconsider. We are an essential part of economic recovery, so they need to tell the 400,000-plus businesses and almost 1.2 million workers we employ what their plans are to stop lawbreaking in our industry.”

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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