BRITISH industry is suffering because workers phone in sick even when there's nothing wrong with them - and managers are the worst culprits.

In a national survey conducted online, 80 per cent of workers who responded admitted pulling a fast one and taking at least one "sickie" at some point in their working lives.

That figure rose to 86 per cent for managers responsible for more than 100 members of staff.

But it seems understanding bosses accept that slacking staff are part and parcel of the modern working environment.

Almost two thirds said unauthorised absence did not worry them and 81 per cent felt "sickies" were sometimes justified.

Of those questioned, just over one third of managers admitted they had dishonestly taken more than 20 days off during their career, compared with the national average of 26 per cent.

The study, an in-depth investigation into the working habits of British people, found that disillusionment with the workplace lies at the heart of the problem.

More than 50 per cent of all respondents stated they didn't go to work because they felt stressed, overworked or undervalued.

In the poll, women were more inclined to take a "sickie" and 82 per cent admitted unauthorised absence compared with 78 per cent of men.

Attitudes towards the workplace were more feckless among the young.

More than 80 per cent of those aged between 16 and 25 confirmed they had skipped work, whereas only 61 per cent of those aged 56 and over had taken a "sickie" in their lifetime.

Illness was the most popular excuse given by the nation's wasters, followed by food poisoning, and then problems with the house or car.

Employers should be alert to workers calling in with colds, flu and tummy bugs - by far the most popular excuses.

Fish, it seems, present one of the biggest dangers to modern society, with a quarter of workers phoning in with "food poisoning" caused by fish or shellfish.

Ropy chicken, dodgy curries and suspect takeaways were also popular excuses among workers.

Some people were shameless with their excuses, claiming their child was sick, or, worse, that there had been a death in the family.

Other employees used their imaginations and called their bosses with more creative reasons for not arriving at the office.

One man claimed he had developed a people phobia, another that his pet rabbit had died and his girlfriend didn't want to be alone, while a third expected his boss to believe he was stuck in quick-drying cement.

The nation's errant workers don't even spend the ill-gotten time constructively.

Almost half said they stayed in bed, while others saw it as an opportunity to have a day out.

And the dishonesty shows no signs of abating, with more than half of respondents admitting they had taken up to three sick days in the past year.