London, Oct 15 : Despite warnings that Britain is becoming a ‘sick note country’, about fifty percent of managers think that their careers would suffer if they take sick leave, a new survey has revealed.

The survey found that the ‘work while you are ill’ practice is fast becoming the norm.

Forty-eight pct of the survey’s respondents said they have not taken a single sick leave in the past year, and 53 per cent believed that their boss would not treat them sympathetically if they asked for sick time off.

The study by the Chartered Management Institute revealed that one in three people claimed that the 'illness equals weakness' culture was practised in their organisation.

The survey found that employers’ productivity and commitment levels were being affected.

'The risk of mistakes or spreading disease surely outweighs the short term benefits of someone turning up to work when not fully fit,” the Daily Mail quoted Jo Causon, of the CMI, as saying.

'While many employers bemoan the cost of absence to their organisations, they fail to see the damage done by creating a culture where illness is seen as a weakness.'

However, the study also found that public sector employees took more sick leaves than their private sector counterparts, for they take around 8.5 days off sick a year compared to six in the private sector. (ANI)