The number of sick days being taken by Canadian workers is on the rise.
Statistics Canada says the average full-time Canadian employee missed 7.8 days of work in 2005 due to illness.
That's up from 7.0 days the year before.
The same study also reveals that nearly 22 million days of school are lost by Canadian students every year due to the common cold alone.
Officials say the largest contributor to absenteeism is illness caused by the spread of germs.
