THIS Friday (September 23) is shaping up to be a popular day for Aussies to chuck a sickie or wag work, but the result could cost hundreds of millions in lost productivity, according to new research by Finder.

The national day of mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II will fall on Thursday, leading many to believe work attendance on Friday will be particularly low.

A recent survey from Finder has found one in eight Australians – or the equivalent of 1.7 million workers – have called in sick for a non-health related reason so far this year, at a cost of about $354 per worker, per day.

Consequently, wagging work on Friday could cost employers more than $461 million in lost productivity, according to the research.

“Workers are trying to take advantage of the bonus public holiday by turning it into an extra long weekend,” said personal finance specialist at finder Taylor Blackburn.

“This is how Black Friday got its name in the US – with the Thanksgiving holiday always on Thursday, many workers would not come in on the Friday – hence it was a dark day for owners.”

The research found that 16 per cent of Australians took a break from work this year for a mental health day, while 13 per cent just wanted a day off.

A small number of aussies (two per cent) have chucked a sickie to spend the day at the beach or to gamble.

The research found women (17 per cent) were twice as likely as men (9 per cent) to have called in sick just to “have a day off”.

Eighteen per cent of Australians haven’t taken a single sick day so far in 2022.