Workplace absenteeism is rising for the first time in some five years, with a growing number of UK workers taking sick leave with increasing frequency, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
CBI research reveals that Britons took an average of 7.2 days off sick from work last year, up from 6.8 days in 2002.
It is thought that a sizable number of these absences, some 15 per cent, are not the result of genuine illness, prompting concerns over false sick leave.
Trends reveal that sick days are often taken on Mondays and Fridays, suggesting that many workers are looking to extend their weekends.
To counter this problem many organisations are introducing measures such as illness verification schemes, employing trained nurses to field all sick calls.
Some firms are going as far as denying sick pay to staff for the first three days of illness.
However criticisms are being raised that such measures are encouraging people at attend work even when they are genuinely sick, following reports from the University College London that working when sick can significantly impact upon health.
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