However, health officials said the reduction in GP consulting hours during the New Year Bank Holiday may have affected last week's clinical consultation rate.

BBC: 15 flu deaths reported in Wales in one week

But less than 24 hours later, after consulting his solicitor, Jeffrey Archer changed his story.

ECONOMIST: A tangled web | The

Previous research has found that many higher-educated workers in professions such as software engineering and consulting choose to work up to 120 hours a week, whether or not they have to.

FORBES: Wall Street Hours Mean Health Troubles

"We've seen people walk away from significant bonuses rather than deal with the continued stress of long hours, " says David Dell, research director at The Concours Group, a consulting firm in Kingwood, Texas.

CNN: All IT workers want is time off