1. 15 mill aussie workers, but say only 12 mill employed on a full time basis
2. average pay is $200/day
3. if those 12 mill workers didn't take 5 "sickies" every year (of if 6 mill fit, younger and healthier ones didn't take 10 "sickies" every year) there would be a productivity gain of $12,000,000,000 every year shared by public and private sector employers
4. $12,000,000,000 could fund, amongst a myriad of other things, 250,000 full time jobs at $50k per year
Excuse the pun, but "sickies" seem to me a sickening waste of national effort ... a bludge if you prefer.
Countries on an ascendency just do not permit this kind of behaviour.
