More than half of employees have gone into work when they were ill, countering the belief that workers were happy to pull a sickie, according to research for Benenden Healthcare.

Jakki Stubbington of Benenden Healthcare says: ``With the pace of today's corporate lifestyles people feel under growing pressure to come into work while they are ill. Doing this can negatively impact on the individual's health as well as that of their colleagues who may fall ill after coming into contact with a sick person.''

The survey also found that around one in three returned to work before they were fully well. Older workers were least likely to take time off sick, the study showed.