Thinking of pulling a sickie? 6.38am on a Tuesday is the time to do it

A study of 1,000 employees conducted by market research company Attest has found that 48% of people are more likely to bunk off work in November and December than any other time of the year.

According to the research, the perfect formula for successfully calling in sick – and to be believed - is to do it on a Tuesday morning at 6:38am with ‘stomach problems.’ But never call in sick on a Monday or a Friday, as 65% of us say you just won’t be believed.

We’re a nation of bunkers, with more than a quarter (27%) of people saying it’s acceptable to have a sick day at least once a month. More than a third (34%) say a stomach problem is the most believable excuse and having an STD is the worst (3%).

Jeremy King, founder of Attest, said: “The results of this research are intriguing, revealing and occasionally hilarious. From flaming jacuzzis to dogs eating car keys, we are an inventive and trusting nation when it comes to missing work. Particularly interesting is the tension between employee perceptions of good excuses and timing vs. what’s believable for bosses... looks like there’ll be a lot of bosses awaiting new excuses early on Tuesday!”

Some of the weird and wonderful excuses for taking a sick day included:

* The cat fell down the stairs

* Mother’s funeral (4 times in the same year)

* The family goat is missing

* My belly button exploded

* I’m having a bad hair day

* I was bitten by a tiger

* My ceiling has fallen down