More than a quarter of workers admit they have taken at least one unscheduled extra day off work to get over their holiday, according to research by price comparison site Travelsupermarket.com.

The study found 27% of workers had taken a 'buffer day', an additional day at the end of a holiday, with only a third telling their employer the truth about the extra day off.

The poll found that the preferred excuse was a fake illness, such as food poisoning, flu or sunstroke. A further one in eight reported a missed or delayed flight, and one in 10 blamed car trouble. It found that only 2% said they felt very guilty about lying or potentially inconveniencing their employer and colleagues.

Kayte Williams, holidays manager at Travelsupermarket.com, says: "For many people, their holiday is so hotly anticipated that when it's over, it is a massive anti-climax. For others, a jam-packed break means they are more exhausted on their return than when they left."