Train drivers, pilots and air traffic controllers are the least likely to take a day off ill, according to latest figures on sickness absence from the Office for National Statistics.
The Economic and Labour Market Review found that transport associate professionals have a sickness absence rate of just 0.8% in the year to June 2008, the lowest rate by occupation in the UK.
Customer service occupations, including call centre operatives, are the most likely to call in sick, topping the absence league with a rate of 4.8%.
Next most likely to call in sick are textile and garment traders (4.3%), government related administrators (3.9%), design associate professionals (3.8%) and elementary construction occupations (3.6%).
The figures, based on a representative survey of 53,000 UK households, show that women are 22% more likely to be absent from work than men.
It also found that public sector workers are 22% more likely to be off work through illness than their private sector counterparts.
Overall, there were 5.8 million scheduled working days lost to sickness or injury in the year to June 2008, accounting to 1.5% of scheduled working days.