Made-up reasons for arriving late, whoppers about how busy – or not – they are and pulling a sickie are among the most frequent fibs.
But the top porky is about how the employee is feeling, said 26%.
Almost a fifth (18%) say they got away with a terrible mistake by denying it – but 31% reckon their facial expression would give it away.
While 20% admit their body language would be a telltale sign.
The poll of 2,000 employees by 888poker found two thirds (67%) think they generally get away with lying, but 16% have been caught.
Consequences ranged from a verbal warning (44%) to a written one (33%) – and 22% lost their job.
A spokesman for the gaming brand said: “You can interpret people as much by the way they speak, as the words they use. It’s a shame people don’t speak up about how they’re feeling or if they’re too busy as it could help take a weight off their shoulders if they opened up about it.
“The workplace in particular is an interesting place to explore telling white lies, because the hierarchy means you could get in trouble but also colleagues perhaps don’t know you as well as friends and family do.” The research also discovered that staff who fib to their employer do so about once a week, including about where they are and why they missed a deadline.
Fibbers’ explanations for getting away with it include their boss trusting them (33%), they are credible (31%) or they have a good relationship with their manager (31%).
When they do fall back on fiction, many feel guilty (32%), nervous (21%) and anxious (19%), according to findings by OnePoll. But a fifth (22%) think colleagues deceive the boss more often than they do – and 45% reckon all staff do it.
Excuses for telling a tall story include to avoid getting into trouble (30%), for an easier life (28%) and to help a pal (24%). Outside work, two in five have told a white lie to skip a social event, such as being ill (46%) or a car breakdown (16%).
While 888poker added: “No matter how small the porky it’s likely followed by a feeling of worry.”
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