One in five UK employees lie to their boss monthly, yet managers lie the most, Careerminds research finds

UNITED KINGDOM, 30 June 2026 Over three-quarters (77.3%) of UK employees admit lying at work, and the more senior they are in the organisation, the more frequently it occurs. With almost two-thirds (64.0%) of UK managers feeling exhausted most of the time, according to the CIPD Working Lives Report 2025, the growing wellbeing gap helps explain why a small fib is often the quickest way through the day. 

Research from Careerminds UK surveying 600 UK employees about their workplace honesty finds: 

Key findings: 

• More than 3 in 4 UK employees (77.3%) tell white lies to their manager, with 1 in 5 doing so at least monthly. 

• Nearly 3 in 10 managers (29.0%) admit lying to their own boss at least monthly, compared with 9.2% of entry-level employees. 

• The top workplace lies are calling in sick when not ill (26.3%), faking agreement with a decision (24.8%) and feigning unread messages (23.8%). 

• Nearly 1 in 4 UK employees (22.0%) have claimed they were nearly finished with a task they had not yet started. 

• More than 1 in 3 (36.6%) Gen Z have pulled a sickie as a leave excuse, versus 20.0% of those aged 55 and over. 

“These small lies may seem harmless on the surface, but they can tell us a great deal about workplace culture,” said Amanda Augustine, resident careers expert at Careerminds UK and a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).  

“Perhaps most interesting is that the pattern challenges the assumption that these behaviours flow mainly from the bottom up. For organisations, the more important question isn’t how to crack down on white lies, but why employees feel more comfortable inventing an excuse than having an honest conversation about their workload, wellbeing or need for time away. For anyone moving into management, it’s also a reminder that the behaviours leaders model often shape the norms their teams adopt.” 

Full research findings can be read down below: 

• Fake sick days are the UK’s top workplace lie: More than one in four UK employees (26.3%) have called in sick when not actually ill, making it the most-told workplace lie. Performative agreement (24.8%), feigning unread messages (23.8%) and pretending to be in a meeting to avoid a colleague (22.3%) follow. Time-buying lies stand close behind: 21.2% have faked a doctor or dentist appointment, 19.3% claimed to be ‘on their way’ when they had not yet left, and 17.0% blamed their Wi-Fi for dropping off a call. 

• Gen Z employees lie more frequently; seniors lie more diplomatically: The pattern splits sharply by generation: almost 3 in 10 Gen Z employees (29.3%) lie to their manager at least monthly, against 12.2% of the over-55s, and the youngest are also far more likely to fake a sick day (36.6% versus 20.0%) or use the Wi-Fi excuse to leave a call early. Older employees are not necessarily more honest, just more diplomatic: pretending to agree with a decision they disagreed with more than doubles with age, from 12.2% of Gen Z to 30.0% of the over-55s. 

• Middle managers out-lie junior staff on task progress: Managers are 2.3 times more likely than entry-level employees to claim they were nearly finished with a task they had not started (24.3% versus 10.8%), with senior employees climbing higher still at 29.6%. They also lie to their boss more broadly: 29.0% of managers admit doing so at least monthly, compared with 9.2% of entry-level staff, a difference of more than three times. Directors and above sit lower at 20.0%, leaving middle managers as the peak offenders. 

• Directors blame technical issues 7 times more than juniors: Directors and above blame technical issues more than any other group, seven times more likely than entry-level employees to claim a technical issue caused them to miss a deadline (22.0% versus 3.1%, with managers at 15.4%). The ‘in a meeting’ avoidance follows the same trajectory, climbing almost three-fold from 10.8% at entry-level to 26.0% of managers and 30.0% of directors and above. 

• Men lie more often, while women fabricate excuses: Men lie to their manager more often than women, with 23.6% admitting to monthly fibs against 18.3% of women. They are also more likely to blame a technical issue for missing a deadline (16.3% versus 9.3%) and to exaggerate their workload to avoid more tasks (17.5% versus 15.6%). Women take a softer approach: they are slightly more likely to fake a doctor or dentist appointment (22.6% versus 20.1%), to tell their boss they were working when they were not (11.3% versus 9.9%) and to claim they had not seen a message when they had (25.3% versus 22.7%). 

“One of the more interesting findings was that employees in management roles were often more likely than junior staff to admit to certain types of workplace fibs,” Augustine added.  

“That suggests these behaviours may have less to do with seniority and more to do with the pressures people experience and the culture they operate within. If leaders don’t feel comfortable being candid about workload, missed deadlines or capacity, it’s difficult to expect the people around them to do so. Organisations that want openness and accountability need to create an environment where employees at every level feel safe having honest conversations, and leaders play an important role in setting that tone.” 

Careerminds is a global workforce solutions provider delivering career transition, workforce design and talent development to organisations worldwide. Our consumer career brands extend that reach, giving individuals AI-powered career tools and coaching at every stage of the career journey. Together, we combine technology, data and human expertise to create a connected ecosystem that supports both workforce transformation and individual career success. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. 

Amanda Augustine is the resident careers expert for Careerminds, career.io, and its suite of brands: resume.io, TopResume, TopCV, TopInterview, Resume.ai, and others. As a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), she has spent more than 20 years helping professionals improve their careers and land the right job sooner. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook. 

The research draws on a Pollfish survey of 600 UK adults in employment, conducted in May 2026. The study was designed to characterise the prevalence and shape of white lies in the UK workplace, including how frequency and type of lie vary by seniority, age and gender.