Virgin Blue chief Brett Godfrey chops “chuck a sickie†ad in 29 minutes
The Herald Sun and other media over the weekend reported that Virgin Blue has been left red-faced after being forced to scrap an advertising campaign that urged people to “chuck sickies” to take holidays.
The controversial online “chuck-a-sickie sale” campaign urged frequent flyers to take time off work and take advantage of “top sale fares”, but Virgin Blue chief Brett Godfrey axed the campaign 29 minutes after he saw it and employer advocates slammed the ad, saying it could increase absenteeism.
Current figures reveal sick leave costs employers $7 billion a year and that about a quarter of cases were not related to illness, with figures having risen 25 per cent since 2000 and 85 per cent of organisations have reported a significant increase.
Most employees are reported to take nine sick days a year, costing their employers an average $2,000 a year in such leave.
Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry head of workplace relations David Gregory said the budget airline could have approached the campaign more sensibly.
“Employers are not going to be overly excited about someone who is out there promoting the idea of taking sickies,” he said.
“Absenteeism is enough of a problem already for some without it being actively promoted as a good idea.”
Virgin Blue spokeswoman Heather Jeffrey said the airline’s boss axed the campaign.
“It wasn’t some form of provocative advertising,” she said.
“It was simply a debatable advertising slogan that slipped through the cracks.â€
“Our boss, CEO Brett Godfrey, didn’t see the humour in it.â€
“He saw it online and let’s just say 29 minutes later it was gone.”
A Report by The Mole from The Herald Sun and other media
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive