A woman wears a swine flu mask Action Press / Rex Features

THOUSANDS of healthy workers are skiving off by claiming they have swine flu, said employment­ experts today.

Companies have been counting their losses as ­legions of staff claim to have been struck down by the virus­.

More than 1,000 firms have contacted one employment law firm to seek advice about staff who are using the ­pandemic to extend their summer holidays.

Under the Government’s emergency action plan, staff who claim to have swine flu can obtain antiviral drugs and then stay off work for a week without a doctor’s ­certificate. It is considering extending that to 14 days – opening the door to what managers are calling a ­“skivers’ charter”.

"Based on the volume – and the ­nature – of calls we have been taking, the number of deliberate false cases of the condition is having a significant impact on workplaces across the country, something bosses are keen to tackle"

Some bosses say the virus is causing less disruption than the fakers.

Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS) said it had been ­bombarded with calls from frustrated bosses claiming that staff with no obvious ­symptoms were taking “sickies”.

Peter Mooney, ELAS’s head of consultancy, said: “Based on the volume – and the ­nature – of calls we have been taking, the number of deliberate false cases of the condition is having a significant impact on workplaces across the country, something bosses are keen to tackle.”

A spokesman for the ­Department of Work and Pensions said swine flu contingency plans did include the possibility of a 14-day self-certification period.

He added: “We don’t want people to feel obliged to leave the home or return to work when they are still unwell or put an unnecessary burden on GPs in a pandemic.”