London, Feb 23 (ANI): A survey has revealed that most men use underhand tactics to get their female colleagues to make more than their fair share of tea.

The survey by Cafedirect showed that women make more than three times as many cups of tea as men in the workplace, and that men moan more about having to make drinks for their colleagues.

The study of 3,000 workers revealed two-thirds of men invented bogus reasons for not making hot drinks, while one in four sneaked off to make one just for themselves.

But women aren't entirely blameless, as almost 46 percent admit to using the office brew as a chance to bunk off work, while a quarter reveal their apparent act of generosity is merely a cover for sharing office gossip with colleagues.

According to the report, launched at the start of Fairtrade fortnight, 44 percent admitted to making deliberately poor tea to avoid repeat orders.

Recruitment consultants, UK's biggest tea drinkers, generally spend almost as long moaning about tea (four minutes) as making it (five minutes).

They are also the most likely to use dirty tricks to duck out of making workmates a drink.

Builders by contrast are least likely to complain about a bad cup of tea, with barely a third saying they have criticised workmates.

Overall, two thirds of colleagues dispute whose turn it is to make the tea once a day, with 24 percent saying it's led them to secretly harbour bad thoughts towards those who haven't pulled their weight.

"As office politics goes, the humble tea round would seem an unlikely cause of controversy but, with some making markedly more tea than others, workers are coming to blows over brews," the elegraph quoted Anne MacCaig, Cafedirect chief executive, as saying. (ANI)