One in four workers have lied to their boss to get a pay rise, including threatening to quit if they did not receive a better salary, according to a new report today.

A survey of 600 adults showed one in four admitted lying, while half inflated their salary when applying for a new job.

Maurice Cheng, chief executive of the Institute of Payroll Professionals, which conducted the research, said: "Britain’s bosses need to be wary of dishonest practice amongst employees.

"Money is only one element of what keeps staff happy and motivated, but it’s vital to understand the powerful role it plays. It’s important for bosses to keep in touch with their staff so they’re up to speed with how happy they are and can gauge pay rise threats on an individual basis.

"It costs so much to find new staff that employers are fearful of the consequences of knocking back threats like these."