Why Today is most popular for 'sickies'

by Maxine Frith, The Independant, Monday 6th February

If Britain's workplaces appear to be bereft of employee's this morning there is a reason-it is the most popular day of the year for throwing a "sickie"

The average employee takes nine day's fake sick leave a year, according to a new survey, and Monday's and the first week of February are favoured for having an extra day off.

"The first bank holiday seems a long way off, the day's are gloomy and many people are still feeling the post-chrstmas blues", said Cary Cooper, a professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University.

The poll of more than 4,000 people for the Sky Travel channel found that almost half of the british workforce called work and pretended to be sick at least once per year, which cost an estimated £4bn in lost business.

Only 5 per cent of people said they had been caught out by their bosses, but computer software has now been developed that allows employer's to spot suspicious sick-leave patterns.

Britain's may be partial to taking a sickie this month, but a survey by the trade union congress last week found that more than five million people put in unpaid overtime that amounted to an extra day a week of work.

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