A new report suggests that almost nine in 10 workers have worked while they were sick.

The 'Healthy Working' report from the Mater Private Healthcare Group also found that three in 10 had worked against the advice of their GP.

In general, the majority (85%) of Irish workers have a relatively healthy lifestyle.

But they spend less than the price of a cup of coffee per day on their personal health and well-being.

While one in four workers spend more than six hours a day sitting, and over half do not have the energy to take exercise after work.

Almost seven in 10 are currently experiencing some form of stress at work - with four in 10 claiming to have suffered from 'burnout'.

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Some 57% of workers with a poor work-life balance say they are 'constantly' thinking about work, even on days off.

And fewer than half of Irish workers go to their GP for a yearly or more frequent health check.

However, the report's findings suggest that workers are not as healthy as they believe - 50% of workers say that their job impedes their ability to take exercise, and one in every four workers skips breakfast every day.

Of the 15% who admitted to having an unhealthy lifestyle, 68% considered themselves unfit, 54% eat unhealthily, 18% claim to drink heavily and 35% smoke.

Over half (55%) only go to the GP when they have a specific health complaint.

And despite being offered a minimum of 20 days annual leave per year, almost 20% of employees do not take their full allocation.

Commenting on the findings, consultant general surgeon Mary Morrogh said: "We sometimes forget that we are responsible for managing our own personal health - and this depends on the actions we take every day."

"People tend to assume that their health only requires attention when they have a new or longstanding medical complaint.

"Even then, a significant proportion of the workforce will compromise their health by making poor choices, such as delaying presentation to their doctor, or not heeding the advice given by the GP. This must change."

She added: "Employers have a significant role to play in helping their workers to maintain optimal health by introducing workplace benefits like healthy lunches, on-site employee health checks or perhaps even subsidised health insurance.

"By doing so, they are ensuring their workforce remains healthy, motivated, and performing well."

The research was carried out on behalf of Mater Private Healthcare Group by Core Research among 500 adults.