Natalie-Jane Macdonald, managing director of Bupa Health and Wellbeing, says: ‘Employers should be concerned about the number of people who continue to work when they are unwell, as this could lead to prolonged periods of absence due to a lack of time for recovery.’

Of the 1,120 employees interviewed, 67 per cent say they continue to go into work when they are sick. Of those, 90 per cent admit to being less productive than normal and 44 per cent say they operate at half their normal productivity levels or less.

According to the Confederation of British Industry, absence costs the UK nearly £17 billion per year.

For more information on how to manage sickness in the workplace visit the Health and Safety Executive’s website.