Stress is, for the first time, the most common cause of long-term sickness absence for both manual and non-manual employees, according to a new survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

One in three UK workers admit to lying to take time off work, mainly because they’re disillusioned with their jobs, according to research commissioned by PwC on attitudes to absence.

The Government has called for a major review of the sickness absence system in Great Britain in order to help combat the staggering £100 billion that working age ill health costs the economy every year.