3.6 million Off Sick This Week

More than 3.6million workers have called in sick so far this week, according to a survey suggests from Firstcare, the absence management firm. A record one in eight staff has been laid low, with the winter vomiting bug, norovirus, cited as the main culprit.

Health experts warn that sickness may soon reach pandemic levels with large swathes of the population being struck down.

Aaron Ross, of FirstCare, said: "This is the worst period of sickness we have ever seen and it comes at a very bad time for employers...Most organisations wound down during the unusually long holiday period and they are experiencing real trouble starting up again....There has been a lot of press coverage surrounding the norovirus and people are being advised to stay at home for two days after the symptoms have stopped."

Norovirus,which causes uncontrollable projectile vomiting, is said to be costing the economy £ 40million a day in lost productivity.Norovirus symptoms last for up to three days and it is contagious for another two days or so.

Mr Ross also claimed that some of the absenteeism could be explained by stress brought on by the cost of the festive period."With Christmas credit card bills round the corner and a cold winter approaching we are likely to see continued high sickness rates," he said."I recommend that businesses bring forward the pay day for January as well as December because it is a very long month..."The weather also has a profound effect. It has been a mild winter so far and that is why there have been so many coughs and colds - the weather has not been able to kill them off."