ASBENCE increased in 2006 as workers took an average of seven days off sick, losing 175 million working days and costing the economy £13.4billion, according to the latest CBI/AXA survey.

However, the South East enjoys one of the lowest absentee rates in the country, with employees taking an average of 6.2 days off a year.

Malcolm Hyde, CBI South East regional director, said: "Some people think they have a right to use 'sickies' to take long weekends or extend holidays as they please. Unauthorised absence puts colleagues under unfair pressure, and loses employers and taxpayers well over a billion pounds.

"Everybody gets sick and employers understand that most absence is genuine. It is in nobody's interest if staff come to work when they are not well.

"But there is a culture of absenteeism in some workplace that must be addressed."