Thousands of British workers are expected to skip work tomorrow (Friday) – costing business millions of pounds in lost productivity.

With temperatures tipped to hit 80F by the weekend, employees across the country are likely to bunk off work or miss at least half the day.

Experts predict that long lunches, a meeting out of the office but near the employee’s home and a doctor's appointment are likely to be the top three excuses for workers aiming to enjoy some early weekend sunbathing.

Research by leading personnel software company Employersafe suggests the “Friday Feeling” phenomenon already costs British business £1million-a-week, adding to Britain’s £13billion workplace absenteeism crisis.

Pam Rogerson, head of personnel at Employersafe, said: “After such a cold, wet and miserable winter, Britons will be even more intent on enjoying the good weather while it’s here.

“Many businesses pretty much grind to a halt due to workers suffering from the Friday Feeling and the situation only gets worse when the sun shines like it has this week.

“People tend to schedule business lunches on a Friday afternoon, which inevitably over-run and mean they can not return to the office.

“It is amazing how often throughout the summer you can send an email or make a phone call on a Friday and not get any response until Monday morning.

“Our evidence suggests that more and more workers see the good weather on a Friday afternoon as too good an opportunity to miss.

“We have estimated that the Friday Feeling is costing British business just over £50million a year, which all goes to form part of the overall £13billion cost of workplace absenteeism.

“A growing number of companies are seeing through such scams and are using sophisticated personnel software to help them identify whether staff have a habit of unexpected absence on Fridays or in sunny periods.

“Such methods prove invaluable during spells of warm and sunny weather.”

Employersafe is helping bosses counteract the Friday Feeling with a computer programme that tracks patterns in workers’ absence.

And if managers decide they want to take disciplinary action against serial sunbathers or Friday afternoon slackers then the software can also guide them through the legal process.