Nine out of ten workers resent colleagues who are absent because it puts them under more pressure, new research has found.

Two thirds were also concerned that alcohol plays too big a role in business and can have a bad impact on staff.

More than a thousand people from across the UK were quizzed on health-related workplace issues for the BBC survey.

Women were less tolerant of colleagues taking sick days, with 92 per cent expressing annoyance because it meant they were busier, compared to 86 per cent of men.

Older staff were also more worried about the effects of drinking than 25-34-year-olds.

Three-quarters of the over 55s said it was an issue that worried them, while only 56 per cent of the younger group felt the same way.

According to the CBI, industry loses £13bn every year through sickness absence, with back pain and stress among the most common complaints.