Public sector workers cost the country billions by taking too many days off sick, says the country's main business lobby.

The latest Confederation of British Industry Absence Survey, published in early May, revealed that public sector workers took an average of 9.1 days of sick leave per year, at an estimated cost to the economy of £4.1bn. Public sector absence made up a total of 68 million working days.

If the public sector reduced its absence rate to the private sector average of 6.4 days per year, it could save the UK taxpayer £1.2bn.

John Cridland, CBI deputy director-general, said: "Employers understand that staff are not invincible. They accept that the majority of absence is due to genuine minor illness and nobody is saying genuinely ill staff should drag themselves to work.

"But let's be honest about this, there are some employees who will gladly award themselves a day off when they are in good health at the expense of their employers and hard working colleagues."