Published: 07:45 EDT, 28 May 2013 | Updated: 15:31 EDT, 30 August 2013

Four in ten smokers have admitted to 'lingering' outside for nearly five minutes after finishing their cigarette to avoid work (file picture)

Four in ten smokers admit they deliberately skive from work by hanging around outside on cigarette breaks, a study has revealed.

Researchers found six in ten smokers take extra breaks throughout the day to have a cigarette, on top of their usual lunch and coffee breaks, without making the time up.

And 42 per cent admitted to ‘lingering’ outside almost five minutes longer than they need to so they can avoid going back to their desk.

A staggering 83 per cent of non-smokers simply see smoking breaks as an excuse for their smoking colleagues to catch up and chat outside of their lunch hour.

Almost half of non-smokers also think the constant breaks mean their smoking counterparts are less productive than they are, with four in ten saying it’s down to the fact some of their working hours are spent smoking instead of at their desk.

The study found that the average smoker takes two cigarette breaks during the working day, with each one lasting an average of more than six minutes - the equivalent of more than an hour-a-week.

More than one in ten smokers admit they go on at least five smoking breaks every working day, with another 12 per cent saying their smoking breaks last at least 11 minutes each.

Meanwhile, more than two thirds of smokers have been caught skiving by their boss or colleagues, with more than one in ten being given a formal warning or even getting sacked because of it.

Six in ten non-smokers said that they have had to cover for their colleagues who are on a cigarette break, with 42 per cent having to answer their phone and 27 per cent being left to deal with clients or customers in their absence.

They have also had to attend meetings in their place, do their work and make excuses for them when their boss asks where they are.

Almost one in five non-smokers has complained to their boss about the amount of time their smoking colleagues take on their breaks.

The study found that the average smoker takes two cigarette breaks during the working day, with each one lasting an average of more than six minutes

The research was commissioned by e-cigarette brand E-Lites to mark World No Tobacco Day on May 31.

Chief exeuctive Adrian Everett said: 'Cigarette breaks can be a contentious issue between smoking and non-smoking colleagues.

'It’s particularly worse if smokers don’t make up the time they spend on cigarette breaks by deducting time from their lunch hour or by working late.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group