Hey Australia, chucking a sickie on Monday is going to be really obvious

Australia, it is going to be pretty hard to pull a believable sickie on Monday. Almost 200,000 Australians have had exactly the same brilliant idea.

This Monday in Australia completes an awkward long weekend. With the Australia Day public holiday falling on a Tuesday, some suckers who weren't smart enough to take an annual leave day on the Monday will be waking up to deep regret.

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So much regret it seems, they will pick up the phone, call their boss with a fake cough and take the day off work. According to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, those brave souls will total 180,000 people. Oh yeah, that won't be obvious at all.

CEO of the Australian Chamber, Kate Carnell, urged employees to have a chat with their boss and take an annual leave day instead. She said the cost to employers could hit a whopping $62 million nationwide. While the cost to employees is a nasty hangover and an empty wallet.

“Employees ‘chucking a sickie’ causes problems for co-workers and managers," Carnell said in a statement. "Monday is a work day like any other. Businesses need to open, work needs to be done and rosters need to be properly staffed.

"Workplaces should operate on the basis of mutual respect and trust. Reasonable employers will not begrudge their staff having a well-earned break but it needs to be done the right way." In other words, ask your boss right now.

A smarter move: party on Tuesday and take a sickie on Wednesday. No one will suspect a thing.