About 60 percent of company employees over 40 would not call in sick if they caught a cold, and three out of four would go to work even if they had fevers as high as 37.5, according to a recent survey by a major pharmaceutical firm.

Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. surveyed 320 company workers in the Tokyo metropolitan area regarding how they deal with colds. The study shows that a majority of respondents were more concerned about work than their health.

According to the survey, 298 respondents said they had caught a cold at least once during the past year. Of that figure, 83 were aged 40 or over, and 60.2 percent said they reported to work. That percentage fell to 31.7 percent for those aged 30 to 39 and 44.1 percent for workers aged 20 to 29.

The figures indicate that middle-aged people are in more responsible positions compared to younger workers, and thus found it more difficult to take time off from work, according to company officials who drew up the survey results. In addition, 75.3 percent of the respondents said they would go to work if their fever was "up to 37.5 degrees " and even "up to 40 degrees," the survey shows.