Australia Day is on a Tuesday this year, which is a real weird day of the week to be having a public holiday. But, of course, that can’t be helped.
The problem with the way that January 26th falls this year is that it comes with this odd, kind-of nothing gap known as “an ordinary Monday,” which has somehow weaseled its way in between a public holiday and a weekend.
What even are you, u bitch.
Fortunately for everyone, Australians have long ago figured out the art of walking into a bulk-billing clinic and claiming “gastro” in order to shirk work off.
The sickie is as much an Australian tradition as tinnies and mateship, and a simple phonecall to the boss on Monday morning is all that stands between everyone and a four-day weekend.
And a bloody truckload of people have apparently cottoned on to that fact.
As many as 180,000 Australians are expected to call in “sick” on Monday, and that number could again soar come Wednesday.
It turns out that Australia Day is the public holiday that attracts the highest number of day-after sick days, with sunburnt, hungover souls all fobbing off adult life to moan on the couch and abuse Menulog for the day.
Far beyond ANZAC Day or Melbourne Cup Day, it’s Australia Day that attracts the big numbers, with a new poll from Clipp suggesting that as many as 16% of people have called in crook the day after at least once.
So with the prospect of a 5-day absence looming, businesses are bracing themselves. The Victorian trade industry has already decided to steer into the skid, masterfully declaring Monday a universal rostered day off.
So whether you’re planning on gutting it out, or following suit and treating yo’self to a sneaky extra-long weekend, we recommend you do it with style.
After all, it’s tradition!
Source: SMH.
