Getting Value out of Sick Leave When Quitting Job

I have been working at the same company for the last 3 years.

I have barely taken any sick leave, or even much annual leave. I have more sick leave than actual leave!

I am really getting sick of the low wage growth. Plus a dead end job with not much development. Also, the company has significant downside for the foreseeable future.

This is my first job, and I think I have clearly failed to manage my sick leave balance optimally. That is, I should have been taking it as it accured, regardless of whether I was actually sick.

I have not done much research, but I think sick leave is not paid out on resignation. If this is the case, then that is a significant loss to workers ( now employers have a huge incentive to treat loyal workers like shit with no wage growth - so they leave and it extinguishes their liability).

I guess I can claim all the interview appointments as sick days, but it will look at bit dodgy for the line manager, and I will still lose significant value

closed Comments

  • +19

    I can’t believe I have to explain this to the OP, but the reason why they keep track of accrued sick leave is so you don’t take too much and don’t abuse the system. In an ideal world, they’d just believe people without having to waste resources getting things like medical certificates on a day of rest, but because people (like you) would clearly prefer to abuse it, they have to place a quantifiable figure to ensure the damage is minimal.

    This isn’t a count of what you’re owed.
    This is a count of the amount of time you could have possible been off sick without having your role come into question.

  • +9

    It is wrong, you should be only taking sick leave when you are sick.

    In saying that, there are too many self righteous people on here. Surveys show 40%-48% of aussies have chucked at least 1 sicky before. Just do what you want to do, who cares about random internet people's opinions.

    • +2

      too many self righteous people on here

      Self righteous would be those who claim their actions were more acceptable or they would have done the right thing.

      No one did that.

      Everyone called out the manure for what it is.

      But you're right. Sick leave is for the sick.

      • +9

        OP hasn't actually taken any sick days yet. He's worked 3 years without taking a sick day.

        He's just frustrated at his current employer and thinking about taking sick leave. I have been in his position, you work your ass of years, only afterwards realising management treats you like crap. Staff get frustrated/depressed and absenteeism rises.

        If management created a good working environment, he might not be thinking about taking the sick days.

        Put yourself in his position and try to understand before you call him manure.

        • Put yourself in his position and try to understand before you call him manure.

          Didn't call anyone manure. Calling out the BS. The S in BS is a bad word here.

          Also, like a broken record but always attempting to put it in words that will be comprehend and/or palatable - empathy does not turn lie into truth.

          • @[Deactivated]: You know "shit" is perfectly OK to be said? Lol

            • @spackbace: Oh shit, so you can.

              What other 'naughty' words can we say?

              • +1

                @onetwothreefour: It’s weird that we can say “shit” but not (profanity) or (profanity) which to me, are way less offensive…

            • +1

              @spackbace: Mate, I don't know what can be said and what is an instant offence.

              Someone thinks manure is reference to a person.

        • +1

          I have had some sick days, but quite sure it's only been two or three. And those times I was actually genuinely sick.

          I have been too 'goody two shoes' in using sick leave. To be honest, I remember some really bad weather days where I could have just had a sicky to save the pain of travelling in the shit weather, and it would ensure I get value out of it.

          What's the point in not taking sick leave?

          It's not seen as a positive to an employer. Its not like its going to get you promoted, or increase your bonus (as above, sick days is actually worth more than the bonus). You don't get paid a fraction of the leave you don't take.

          • +1

            @random12: When you're on sick leave they need to pay someone to cover you and also you. A % would be included in the budget, however not full if everyone took full 'entitlements'.
            If they go over their labour budget it will lead to reduced shifts, possibly not meeting bonus targets and maybe even no pay rise the following year.

          • +1

            @random12: Sounds like it's a good thing you are leaving this job as you aren't being appreciated. I hope you find another position that can see your hard work and rewarded you for it.

            With that being said, you are trying to justify fraud/lying. If you ran your own business, would you appreciate an employee doing what you are proposing? It's easy to think of a cooperation as a faceless monster, but would you do this to a mom&pop store? Would you tell your kids it's okay to do this?

            • @Rongz:

              It's easy to think of a cooperation as a faceless

              They are. The BRC was one of the few occasions where the public managed to see the faces of the people at the top.

              • +1

                @whooah1979: Fair point but OP never mentioned what Corperation. Would you consider a franchisee a Corp? How big does a company have to be before it's okay to do this?

    • You know, i’ve taken a couple of sickies, it’s more related to being worn down and exhausted! I’ve worked for my company for over 8 years, and probably taken 10-15 days sick / compassionate leave… maybe 2/3 have been “sickies”.

      But, there’s also like this week, where I couldn’t get out of bed on Monday with the flu, decided to go in on Tuesday to get my laptop and see if anything was going on… I worked 50hrs from Tuesday - Thursday with a pretty gnarly head cold!

      Give and take - employees don’t look twice if you work hard and check out early every now and again, have a day off every couple of years for a “headache”… but if you work 9-5 every day, take an hour for lunch, never show any initiative… then you take a few days off as a sickie… I think you’re not the sort of employee they really want!

  • +3

    So chuck some sickies

    Then get a bad reference

    Think of the petrol you would save

  • +4

    People are talking like they haven’t done such in their life, go ahead mate if that’s how you want to continue. It’s not the right thing but.

  • +6

    Someone I knew worked at a private hospital and they had some long time workers there. 20-30+ years and had accumulated huge amounts of sick leave and annual leave through the the pressure place on them to be present. The company became worried about the financial cost of paying out people's leave entitlements so they organised patients to file false conplaints so they could sack them.
    A whole bunch got saved over some false allegations and then they took said company to court and got a payout.
    Overall, companies can be jerks.

    • Getting long term employees fired just to save on entitlements is bad business, assuming they're still working well.

      The business would spend way more training new people to take their place.

  • +11

    Firstly "manage sick leave properly"

    Taking sick leave when you are not sick can lead to your DISMISSAL.
    Its actually an act of FRAUD!

    NO! You cant claim interview jobs as sick leave

    And let me tell you they will quickly work out what you are doing and issue you with a WARNING

    You should be leaving your first job with a CLEAN RECORD.
    You will need them to provide you with good references going forward.
    When they provide a reference it may include the fact you didnt take any sick leave which will definitely work in your favour.

    And prospective employers do ask how much sick leave you took and it will become very obvious what you have done. This will spoil any chances you have of getting another job

    Secondly I'd check if you have acruded sick leave becuase in most jobs sick leave does NOT accrue.

    • +1

      Definitely this.

      If during a reference check we found your previous employer raising the issue they had reason to believe you effectively used your accrued sick leave prior to leaving without being sick, you wouldn't stand a chance of getting the job even if you'd been the preferred candidate up to that point

      • -1

        lol, will this be before or after you try and offer lowball pay?

        All the managers and executives trying to screw the rank and file.

  • +1

    There was a girl at work and she made sure she used up her sick leave each year

    As soon as it reset itself she would call in sick

    I myself only take it off when I'm sick and currently have 15 weeks+ worth of sick leave up my sleave

    • -1

      What's a sleave?

      • noun. Archaic. A fine thread or skein of thread. Origin of sleave. From Middle English sleven to disentangle from Old English slǣfan to cut from slāf past tense of slīfan to split.

        very fancy..

  • +8

    I love the sense of entitlement people get over their sick leave and thinking they're owed every minute of it.

    • -1

      I don't think people should get every minute of it. But they should definitely get at least 50% of it ( at least as a reward of having a good record).

      • A good company will reward you for doing your job well. Not because you didn't pull sickies or spent 3 years grinding away.

        • +6

          Well, some companies don't even do that, to be fair.

          They have all the money for executive bonuses, but then they feed everyone else bs lies.

          • @random12: If you feel you're not being rewards/compensated fairly for the work you do, compared to the market, then move on… It's a great way to further your career anyhow.

          • @random12:

            Well, some companies don't even do that, to be fair.

            first job, 3 years experience

            exactly what massive pay rises would you expect to be 'worth'?

  • +8

    OP stay back late in the office a few nights, if there’s no cameras take a few PC monitors home to get value out of the situation.

    • +2

      Or some sugar and milk from the coffee area

      • +2

        If there is milk there is likely a fridge too..

        • +2

          If there's a fridge, there's likely power.

          OP should've mined bitcoins at work before.

  • Better hope CBA aren't reading this!

  • +15

    Typical. Comes asking for advice. Advice isn’t what he wants to hear. Starts attacking people.
    Think of the implications of taking “stress leave” for shits and giggles, or to collect a weeks pay. Future income protection wont cover you for mental health issues. Bad reference possibly.

    • +9

      I love it when users do this. They post something for validation and thinking that people will just jump of their bandwagon, but other users just want to derail that bandwagon and OP gets all angry and defensive when no one backs them.

  • +6

    Op, it sounds like this whole situation is giving you a lot of stress and perhaps some anxiety. A visit to the GP for a proper check may be in order. They may be able to recommend a treatment or issue a prescription.

    Anyway, best of luck.

    • +3

      This is the most empathetic post on here. Stress, workplace bully, controlling managers, pushing unrealistic KPIs work just aggravate mental health problems. Workplaces and managers do not care at all about your mental health, and some these managers believe in the fringe of lunacy believing mental illness is not real, where they have a"Grow some balls" or "Suck it up princess" attitude - even perhaps the managers themselves have mental illness and what they perceive is their normal. The only person cares for your mental health is yourself, if you need to reciprocate, do it. It is not fraud to take sick days for stress and anxiety.

  • OP i have gathered 62 weeks sick leave over 15 years at one employer please tell me if you figure out to take yours without fraud. Id love to know more sick leave is there to save your job and still get money if you actually fall sick..

    • +1

      I can break your leg? That's 6 weeks right there. After 6 weeks I'll break your other leg. That's another 6 weeks.

      That's 12, I'm sure we can think of other things after that. Let me know! We can do it whatever way you want.

  • I’m the same, hardly ever used a sick leave day in 7 years not because I haven’t been sick but because I’ve never been sick enough to need a sick day or because I can do my work from home and it’s basically “suck it up princess” and get on with the task at hand.

    That said if you look in your contact you’ll see that you can be forced to take annual leave when your sick. Take a week of annual leave then get a doctors certificate for being sick for that week. Any dental work needed? I’m contain that can fall under sick/personal leave.

  • +5

    OP’s first job, working for 3 whole years and wants to know how he can get paid for sick leave. Good luck in the real world is all I can say; if this is the future we’re doomed.

  • -5

    OP is obviously not from Australia. How did it work in your previous country? Sick leave is not an entitlement you are free to rort.

    • +13

      Chucking sickies is quite possibly the most Aussie thing someone can do besides going to Bali and getting a Bintang singlet.

      • -1

        it's a dog thing to do when you're not sick

      • +3

        Lol yea exactly. If I had a dollar everytime someone got on a soapbox here. Chucking sickies is as Ausie as it gets.

    • +1

      https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/survey-shows-tha…

      Even Australia has a slang for this.
      You must be new to Australia?

      • You must be new to Australia?

        I manage people.

        • +1

          Not experienced enough to know chucking a sicky is an Australian thing though.

          • +3

            @Ughhh: It's an Australian thing for the pathetic and lazy.

            • +1

              @conservative: Just because you manage people, doesn't mean you know everything about your workers ;) they probably love you in a way.

    • +5

      Haha! Funny you say that because in every office job I worked at it was the "Aussies" who took every opportunity to exploit benefits where possible. The "migrants" on the other hand went above and beyond to prove themselves because they face attitudes like yours in the workplace.

      I use quotes because the terms are subject to whatever stereotype you are trying to project. Your experience may vary based on industry.

    • Why obviously?
      (serious question)

      • Apparently Aussies are too legit to take a fake sick day 😂

  • +3

    Easter is just around the corner. A 4 day leave due to bad seafood is plausible.

    • +2

      Yeah, they can take Good Friday to Easter Monday off as sick leave. 😎

      • Haha, and getting caught because of it would be the icing on the cake

  • +7

    good luck with the dead end job op, ive seen many people with mindsets like yours (entitlement, rorting the system etc) you wont do well in life.

    • +1

      Op is leaving said dead end job

      • +3

        most likely for another dead end job

        and ill bet, its someone elses fault, never op's.

  • +2

    Left my first job after 8 years with 60+ sick days still on the table. I guess I'm pretty healthy, didn't have any major family dramas etc.

    Now I've got staff - I actually don't care if they take a day off for 'mental health reasons' etc. If you need a day off to clear your head - take it. Send me an email telling me you're unwell and all I ask is whether you're feeling better. As long as they get their work done and are effective overall. I understand this works better in some industries and not others.

  • +8

    Don't treat sick leave for granted.
    Yes sure chuck a few sickies here and there once in a while, that is quite the norm for a non hard working employee, but it is definitely not a cash entitlement.

    Be grateful there is sick leave in this country.
    Be smart and use it wisely.

    • +1

      Just because you take a sicky doesnt make you a slacker… a long as you bust your ass every other day.

      • +1

        But when you are taking that sicky, you're colleagues are picking up the slack.

  • +1

    That is the problem with sick leave. There is no benefit and recognition for people who rarely sick. It is not taken into account in performance review, and you don't put it in your CV.
    Instead, we should just have an increased salary and make sick leave into unpaid leave.

    • +3

      Well I’d say the benefit is that you’re healthy. If you ever watched a colleague get cancer and start tapping into years of accrued sick leave - trust me it is better to have not had reason to use sick leave.
      Be thankful you are able bodied and have the leave in case you fall ill. The reward is your life.

      • +1

        Getting cancer or accidents are exceptions and should really be dealt with some forms of insurance. I think a lot of people calling sick for "usual" illness: headaches, common cold, just feeling unwell, etc, or chronic issue because of lifestyle/habits. Some people just rarely got any sickness like that. Not sure if healthy lifestyle actually matters or they are just lucky.

        If A is an often sick person and B is a never sick person and both A and B do not have a job, I agree that B has the benefit of being healthy over A. However, if both A and B work under the same condition, it is unfair that A has more benefits than B, which is getting paid for the the days A does not work (for whatever reasons, in this case, being sick).

    • Instead, we should just have an increased salary and make sick leave into unpaid leave.

      lol, so just turn everyone into a casual?

      • -1

        I would prefer it just gets added as an extra day of paid leave.

        I realise that when employers account for it in terms of labor cost, that it is not 'one for one'. It is a cost based on an expected amount of sick days.

        So everything should be translated into a equivalent 'expected amount'.

        So it may be:
        20 days annual leave
        10 days sick leave
        6 weeks parental leave
        15 weeks long service leave etc

        But then, in terms of expected amounts:

        20 days annual leave
        3 days sick leave
        5 days parental leave
        10 days long service leave

        So all up 38 days of leave that you can take Unconditionally.

        I have no idea on what is the approximate useage rates, and thus what is the appropriate haircuts to apply. I have just made the above numbers out of thing air.

        This is the fairest way of doing it. You should not be penalised ( in a relative sense ) because you have a good sick leave record,choose not to stay long with an employer ( and staying long means you are likely very underpaid compared to market) or you choose not to have kids.

        • +1

          This is the fairest way of doing it. You should not be penalised ( in a relative sense ) because you have a good sick leave record, or you choose not to have kids.

          Although I can sympathise with your position, this isn't the right way of looking at sick leave.

          You can always get hit by a car, or get cancer and get rewarded the leave? Most people use the leave for when they are actually sick. If this did happen you'll be glad to continue to get paid rather than it all being wasted on sickies and not being paid when you need it.

          • @arkie0: 'If this did happen you'll be glad to continue to get paid rather than it all being wasted on sickies and not being paid when you need it.'

            No I won't. Because I would have saved money from the weeks where I did work.

            There should not be paid sick leave with conditions. It should be added as either a larger base pay, or as more standard annual leave days, and then sick days should be unpaid.

            All this nonsense about people being worried about having cancer and needing weeks of sick leave. That is bullshit. We should get the money, and then have unpaid leave. There is no use leaving a job with huge sick leave accrued. You don't get a fraction paid out, you don't get a bigger bonus, you don't get anything.

            • +4

              @random12: Just be a casual or a contractor, then you get a higher rate but no leave benefit (ie. only get paid for the hours/ days worked)

            • +2

              @random12: By the same logic we should remove the super system and take that money and add to the base salary. We human are really shit at saving for the unexpected. Hence there is certain regulation to protect workers.

              I had a same mindset like you when i left my last job with 250+ hours of sick leave. However, the unexpected could happen to anyone at anytime, think of it as a priviledge not entitlement. I am few months in the new job and already used 1/2 of my personal leave entitlement due to one of family member being very ill.

              • -3

                @od810: Yes, we should get rid of compulsory super.

                Tons of nonsense rules. Especially the one about not letting people use that money to buy a house ( for living or investing ).

                The money is locked away for years, and parasites take a cut of it every year ( less if you are in industry fund, more if you have to pay some fatcat executive from a retail fund ).

                • @random12:

                  Tons of nonsense rules. Especially the one about not letting people use that money to buy a house ( for living or investing ).

                  While you may be sensible with your money, there are many many who are not and need a mummy (ie. Government) to help aka force them to save via super. Do you rather the money be spent on partying when young, or spend it to look after themselves when theyre old and unable to work?

                • +2

                  @random12: What a ridiculous post. Compulsory super is there for a reason. In no way should this money be released early to buy a house. Unfortunately I ran out of negs to give you.

        • +3

          Just start your own business, problem solved.

          No more exec complaints, you work for yourself.

          You set your own sick leave policy.

          • +1

            @arkie0: Nah. Stuff that… Employees whinge too much and OP may have to pay out sick leave 😂

      • Other types of leave will still be there, so no, not a casual.

    • Instead, we should just have an increased salary and make sick leave into unpaid leave.

      Some companies do pay out sick leave at a certain percentage, to discourage fakes.

      It definitely sucks for genuine people, to see fakes getting paid to go to watch Netflix. But it is life, nice guys don't always come first. Being right doesnt mean you're being smart.

  • +4

    I am really getting sick of the low wage growth.

    So you are getting sick… Time to take some sick leave.

    • +1

      I like that thinking ;)

  • +4

    sick leave is the cheapest form of income protection insurance I know. So I wouldn't abuse it.
    Like the poster said above if you accrue a lot it means you are healthy and therefore blessed. Spare a thought for our fellow citizens who genuinely need the annual quota to put food on the table. Complaining of low wage growth is a fair complaint, until you meet those who are chronically unemployed due to medical issues and can't hold down a job and live off a centrelink disability payment for life. I think OP may have developed too much first world entitlement. I'm sure your fellow earthlings in Yemen or Syria would trade their daily life for yours in a heart beat, they just happened to be born in the wrong country.

    • -2

      Company profits and executive pay has exploded, but regular peoples pay has flatlined, and you are telling me to be happy I don't live in Yemen or Syria?

      • +2

        Stop and listen, Peterw1 is spot on.

        Companies being dodgy and exec pay are a different issue, don't link them together because you are frustrated at your current job.

      • +1

        Company profits and executive pay has exploded, but regular peoples pay has flatlined,

        Become an executive.

  • Be grateful that you haven't had to use your sick leave. You're risking your reputation by taking your sick leave to go to an interview.

  • Casuals get paid more than full time workers because they can't get paid for sick days it's already built into their hourly rate that's why it's higher.

    • Sure, but they get no job security, no annual leave, no sick leave as you mentioned, and like 1 hour notice for termination.

      • -1

        'Job Security' for 'full time' employees is not much of a 'right'.

        (1) No ones job is secure.
        (2) Companies do not reward loyalty. The only way to get decent payrises is to job hop. So 'job security' is in some cases a negative.

        • +1

          So 'job security' is in some cases a negative.

          But I would say preferred by most people.

        • Companies do not reward loyalty. The only way to get decent payrises is to job hop. So 'job security' is in some cases a negative.

          So job hop.

          Why force the company to reward your loyalty.

          (I suspect you're also using loyalty and dependence interchangeably).

          • -2

            @[Deactivated]: your profile picture is a guy with a tophat

            • +2

              @random12: Ah. That's an embarrassing school photo and I forgot to shave the mustache.

  • +3

    Wait till OP finds out that you don't get any benefit from insurance policies you don't use and hits on the idea of defrauding insurance companies.

    Next they'll find out that companies actually make a profit from your work in most cases -> How is that fair??

    • +1

      No, I think employment is quite different from insurance.

      Companies should not be allowed to structure pay in a way where they record a positive (reduction in accured liability) on the resignation of an employee.

      • +3

        They are legally REQUIRED to operate this way. The last thing the government wants is people treating sick leave like an accrued benefit. It means people will start coming to work sick as they don't want to sacrifice their payout or don't want to eat into their holiday time. You will also get people whining they are being punished for being sick as people that weren't sick get extra money or extra holidays. It is done the way it is because it then provides Zero reason to not use it when you are sick and every employer has to provide it. don't like it then take up contracting or become self employed then you are allowed to do whatever you want for yourself.

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