Smokers and drinkers take more leave
But Aussie drinkers don't like to take sick days.
Workers who are regular drinkers take around half a day's more annual leave each year than the average Aussie, while smokers are more inclined to chuck a sickie, according to new research.
Selected findings from the Melbourne Institute's 2016 Household Income and Labour Dynamics Australia survey reveals regular drinkers take more (0.56) annual leave days per year. Regular smokers take significantly less (-0.71) annual leave but slightly more (0.23) sick days annually.
Regular consumption of alcohol is defined as drinking on five or more days per week. Australian Human Resources Institute president Peter Wilson said Aussie drinkers were less inclined to call in sick because of the infamy associated with boozing.
While it's unsurprising that education and training industry workers, many of whom are teachers, take the most annual leave (about 15 days more each year), employees in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry, accommodation and food services and individuals on fixed-term contracts take between 2-3 days less annual leave than workers in other industries.
In terms of occupation, professionals and community and personal service workers take the most annual leave, while managers and sales workers take the least sick leave.
Employees in the public sector are more likely to take holiday and sick leave than other workers and full-time working women take around two days more annual leave days than men.
Wilson attributes the additional annual leave taken by women to the fact that females are often primary caregivers.
"Women get the work/life balance and need for recreation more than men," Wilson said.
Working longer hours resulted in more annual leave and less sick leave, while employees on high earnings take less sick leave and the same amount of annual leave.
Wishing you could have more annual leave? Take longer trips? We've come up with a way to turn your 20 days of annual leave into 50 days worth of holidays or Netflix binges.
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