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Workplace sickness 'to peak today'

Payroll workers could soon find themselves dealing more than the usual number of employee absences, as employee sickness rates typically peak on the first Monday in February.

According to the Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS), about 350,000 members of staff are expected to ring in sick today.

This, it said, could cost businesses in the UK as much as £30 million overall.

Peter Mooney, spokesman for ELAS, commented: "The cost to the economy could soar.

"That is the last thing we need as we are slowly crawling out of the deepest recession for generations."

ELAS found that one in four bosses do not speak directly to staff who claim they are ill, trusting them enough to accept an email or text saying they are unable to work.

Mr Mooney said this means the system is "open to abuse", as a direct phone call was always a good way for managers to work out whether employees were feigning illness or were genuinely sick.

This comes shortly after a severe bout of winter weather led to many cases of employee absence across the country, which the Forum of Private Business estimated cost businesses £230 million a day.