17 August 2007: POETS cost 50 million pounds a year

Businesses in the UK say they are losing more than 50 million pounds a year because of POETS; employees leaving work early on Friday.

The top excuses for starting the weekend early are a long lunch on Friday, a doctor's appointment and an out-of-office meeting near to home.

The research team commented "Our evidence suggests that more and more workers are seeing Friday afternoon as an unofficial holiday."

Motoring organisations support the findings, reporting that on Fridays the rush hour now starts around noon.

By the way, POETS stands for "Go Home Early, Tomorrow's Saturday" (or something like that)