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Public sector workers take three and a half more sick days a year than their private sector counterparts, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's annual survey has shown.

Average annual absence levels in the public sector are 10.3 days per employee compared with 6.8 days in the private sector. The gap has grown by half a day in the past year.

Each public sector employee costs their employer £645 a year due to sick leave, rising to £1,060 in the health sector, which has the highest absenteeism levels.

• Absence Management 2005 from www.cipd.co.uk/surveys