But employers believe an "entitlement mentality" remains strong among Australian workers, contributing to a "sickie culture" that cost bosses an average $2984 per employee in the 2014-15 financial year.

A survey of 97 organisations, that employ 220,000 public and private sector employees across Australia, estimates that absenteeism cost the national economy $32.5 billion in lost wages and productivity last year.

Nearly half the bosses surveyed by Direct Health Solutions, a specialist company that works to reduce absenteeism, said their staff had taken time off work to deal with stress, anxiety or depression during the past 12 months.

But the overwhelming reason staff gave for not turning up to work was carers' leave — designed to allow workers to deal with a sick child, partner, parent or other family member.

Bosses said 70 per cent of short-term absences were caused by employees taking carers' leave, followed by an unexpected sickness (65 per cent), "chucking a sickie" (45 per cent), and mental ill-health (22 per cent).

Direct Health Solutions managing director Paul Dundon said many employers believed workers were taking carers' leave as a cover for personal leave, as employers were often reluctant to press them for medical certificates or other proof.

While absenteeism had dropped by 10 per cent in 2014-15 from the average 9.5 days reported for each worker the previous year, 65 per cent of bosses believed a "culture of entitlement" had developed in their organisation that was driving high absenteeism.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said while some workers took excessive leave, it could usually be resolved by managers "taking a more proactive approach to ensuring the wellbeing of their staff".

"Paid sick leave is an integral part of working conditions in Australia and is vital to ensure that workers can effectively manage their own health as well as the health of their families without suffering financially," she said.

Transport and logistics workers — many of whom work manually — took the greatest number of days off, recording an average 12.3 days off work. The next highest absentee rates were among call centre workers and healthcare workers, who both recorded an average 11.2 days off work.

Absenteeism among public service workers — including council, state and federal employees — was 30 per cent higher than in the private sector, with public servants taking an average 10.3 days off a year, compared with private sector employees who took an average 7.9 days a year off.

Mondays were by far the most popular day to take off, with employees twice as likely to be absent on Mondays than any other day of the week. Tasmania, the ACT and Western Australia had the biggest rates of absenteeism.