Nearly nine in ten UK employers are ignoring doctors’ advice by stating that a common cold is not a good enough reason to take time off work, new research has revealed.

The survey, conducted by business information firm Croner, found that 88 per cent of bosses felt that employees with colds should still make it into the workplace.

Croner said that this contradicts advice from GPs that staff with heavy colds should stay in bed, take medication and plenty of fluids to speed up recovery.

The business information firm said that there was a growing ‘martyr culture’ in the workplace where sick employees struggle in and spread germs to their colleagues.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has previously warned employers not to put too much pressure on ill staff to come in, claiming that the UK’s workplace culture does not encourage employees to take a rest when they feel under the weather.

Richard Smith, employment specialist at Croner, said that the fear of taking time off work is adding to the stress and anxiety felt in the workplace.

“Working late, long and hard is ingrained in our culture and taking time off for having a cold can be viewed as a weakness, or even skiving.

“From a health and safety point of view, if employees are bringing their germs to the office, they are inevitably risking their colleagues becoming ill too, which has greater consequences to productivity than if the employee had taken a day or two off to recover,” he said.