One in five workers throw a sickie from the office due to a hangover, according to a report today.
A survey of 500 adults by disability insurer Unum showed that one in five have taken time off because of the after effects of a night out, with younger workers most likely to stay in bed rather than drag themselves to the office.
Workers in Scotland took most time off because of a hangover, while those in the Midlands and the South East are least likely to take a spurious day off, the study found.
The second most popular reason for taking time off work is a family-related problem, followed by wanting to spend time with a partner.
Professor Michael O'Donnell, chief medical officer at Unum, said: "These figures reinforce well-documented and worrying trends that people's drinking habits are impacting on the workplace.
"From a medical point of view this is particularly worrying, given that in 2005/06, there were 187,640 NHS hospital admissions among adults aged 16 and over with diagnosis specifically related to alcohol. This has more than doubled from 89,280 in 1995/96.
"It is vital that employees recognise that hangovers, and any resulting time off work, not only have serious consequences for their health and their families but can also seriously affect their careers.
"With the festive season upon us, it is important that employers and employees work together to ensure that drinking habits do not get out of control."
