First Monday in February is 'national sickie day'

The first Monday in February is "national sickie day", when staff are most likely to take an unofficial day off work, a new poll claims.

Psychologists say post-Christmas blues, burn-out and the seemingly distant summer all contribute to people needing a day off.

The survey of more than 4,000 workers for Sky Travel found that seven in 10 people would choose a Monday for a sneaky day off and most opted for the first Monday in February.

The poll found that 80% of workers were dissatisfied with the average 22 days holiday entitlement and 35% saw this as a reason to take unofficial days off.