IT'S little cold comfort for workers suffering from the snuffles!

For 88 per cent of employers are ignoring doctors' advice, by stating a heavy cold is not a good enough reason to take time off work. That's according to a survey by Croner, one of the UK's leading providers of business information and advice.

The medical profession advises that, for the fastest recovery, people suffering from a bad cold should stay in bed, take medication and plenty of fluids.

But the survey of human resource professionals carried out via Croner's

www.humanresources-centre.net discovered that only 12 percent were in favour of employees keeping their germs at home.

Croner say this is adding to a growing "martyr culture", where workers drag themselves in to work and consequently spread sickness around the workplace.