Around 80% of workers admit to considering using the Norovirus as an excuse to skive off work, according to Manchester-based employment law firm Peninsula.

The survey also showed that 73% of workers have used ‘flu like symptoms’ as an excuse in the past and got away with it.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, says: "It’s the perfect excuse for a couple of days off work and it’s easy to justify and difficult for employers to prove that their employees illness is non-genuine. Employees are being told to stay away from their GPs and advised to take time off work. The legitimacy of their absence is difficult to prove. However, attending work with the virus may increase the health risks to fellow colleagues."

Peninsula says its legal line has received 2,245 calls since New Year’s day from concerned employers regarding absenteeism caused by the ‘Norovirus’.