A new survey by the employers organisation the CBI shows the average worker in the east of England was off sick for 6.7 days last year.

But it compares favourably with Yorkshire/Humberside and the North West, where ill workers took 8.9 days off.

However, the best perforamce was in the southern region, where ill staff were off work for an average of just 5.6 days.

The CBI, which carried out the research with insurance firm AXA, says the cost of the UK economy of absence from work was £13.2 billion last year.

It is feared 12 per cent of the time off for illness is not genuine, and that these 21 million "sickies" cost the economy £1.6 billion.

But long-term absence (20 days or more) also continued to be a serious concern for firms.

Although only five per cent of absence spells became long-term, they still accounted for 40 per cent of all time lost at a cost of £5.3 billion.

CBI regional director for the east of England Richard Tunnicliffe said: "Employers face two serious and expensive challenges – dealing with bogus sick days, and helping those with long-term illness return to work when they are fit to do so.

"People who awarded themselves "sickies" to enjoy the recent sunny weather or to extend a weekend away are acting unfairly, leaving their colleagues to pick up their work, and costing taxpayers and employers over a billion pounds a year.

"But in many cases, such as those involving stress or back pain, firms that keep in touch with employees and offer flexible working have been successful at reducing long-term absence levels.

"A fresh, proactive approach to managing long-term absence could help stem the flow on to incapacity benefit and help employers to retain skilled employees.

"But we really have to question if there is a medical explanation for the higher levels of long-term absence in the public sector. Low morale, poor management and a culture of absence are at least partly to blame."

Head of corporate healthcare development at AXA Dudley Lusted said: "Long-term absence – which is mainly due to stress, anxiety and depression and to back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders – is still a big problem, accounting for 40 per cent of lost working time.

"The NHS, which continues to struggle to deal with people suffering from these conditions, is partly to blame, but arguably the bigger culprit is ineffectual management.

"It's ludicrous to pay people not to work when the tools to deal effectively with these debilitating conditions, through early intervention and treatment, are so well established and readily to hand. It's no accident that employers who provide access to this have lower absence rates than those who don't."

Chief executive of Peterborough Chamber of Commerce John Bridge said: "These figures are disturbing and it is an issue that needs careful consideration by businesses."