One in three British workers has lied to their boss in order to take time off, new research has shown.

A report by global consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) revealed the majority of these people (61%) said they did so because they felt unmotivated and jaded with their job.

The research also revealed that 15% of those who took a day off work felt they had been working hard and deserved the time off, whereas 21% "pulled sickies" in order to tend to "family responsibilities".

Meanwhile, hangovers, good weather and romance were also named as motivating factors behind taking a sick day.

Neil Roden, HR consulting partner at PwC, said the figures suggested large chunks of the absenteeism - which costs UK businesses 32 billion pounds ($48.5b) a year - could be prevented.

"Our findings suggest a large chunk of this loss is preventable. If people are bored and depressed with their jobs, employers need to think creatively how they can get people back in gear", Roden said. The NSW government has offered a number of ways HR professionals and small businesses can reduce absenteeism on their industrial relations website.

While the majority of sick leave is well founded, the NSW government says there are many strategies which may to reduce absenteeism, including:

  • Promote a high performance work culture and emphasise the importance of the employee fitting into this culture
  • Provide flexible work practices which meet the needs of your business and your employees
  • Promote the use of carer's or domestic leave
  • Widen job responsibilities
  • Increase promotional opportunities
  • Recognise and reward your employees' contribution
  • Provide training and development
  • Monitor annual leave and long service leave data to ensure your employees are taking adequate recreational breaks.