UK - British bosses much prefer their sick workers to stay at home, rather than risk spreading the germs to other staff, even during the poor economic climate.

A survey conducted by BBC and Benylin, a medical firm, revealed 73% of 1,000 employers think sick employees should stay at home to recover instead of exposing other colleagues to a virus or something contagious. Four out of five bosses also believe that sick staff are less productive.

However, 57% of British workers said they would have to be severely ill before deciding to stay at home, as they are worried or guilty about taking a sick day off.

"In the current economic environment, employees may feel the need more than ever to go beyond the call of duty and work through an infectious illness," Chris Hannant, policy director for the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) told Reuters.

He added, "But this is not the way to make a positive impression."

On average, professionals working in the banking sector are found to take the fewest number of days off sick in the last year, followed by employees in the hospitality industry.

Given the gap between employer and employee views on sick leave, Hannant believes both parties need to communicate to each other better. "There needs to be a bit more common sense about taking sick leave when you're ill and maybe employers need to spell this out more clearly."