Fun park Alton Towers was accused today of encouraging employees to bunk off work after it launched a new website called ihatework.co.uk.
The Federation of Small Businesses today accused the theme park of behaving "irresponsibly" by targeting workers with the midweek ticket offer.
"We do not take issue with their right to market an offer, but enticing people to leave work is not the way forward. It is irresponsible. They are getting people to toy with the idea of taking a sickie and then persuading them to take that decision with this offer," said a spokesman for the FSB.
The organisation, which represents around 185,000 small companies, said absenteeism cost the UK economy £10bn each year, adding that it tended to be smaller companies that were hardest hit.
The Staffordshire-based attraction said it launched the site after it discovered that over 30% of midweek visitors had lied to their employers to spend time there, with men twice as likely to skive than women.
The website urges working adults to take advantage of the end of the Easter school holidays to visit Alton Towers, offering a £15 discount to those that do.
"Do you know a friend in need of a great day out - away from work? Simply e-mail this URL www.ihatework.co.uk to them and they too can get out of the office and have a great day out at Alton Towers," the site says.
"With the kids out of the way and back at school and the ride queues at an all time low, what better time to grab a bunch of mates and hit the UK's best theme park?" it adds.
While the FSB urged the park to drop the website, the theme park - run by the Tussaud's Group - said it was sticking with the online promotion.
"We are a fun park and this is just a bit of fun. Its not up to us to cut down on skiving. The site will be staying up until the end of the promotion next month," said a spokeswoman.
The park surveyed over 200 adults earlier this month and found that one in three visitors had lied to get there. Visitors from the north were the biggest culprits, with 60% admitting they had bunked off - compared with 30% of southern attendees.
Three-quarters said they used illness as an excuse, while 10% said they were going to the dentist. The park said a "significant proportion" had used a death in the family as an excuse. Around one in 10 had not even told their employers they were going to be absent.
Earlier this month the Advertising Standards Authority criticised internet banking firm Egg for running an advert encouraging people to feign illness in order to skip work.
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