OTTAWA — Canadians paid nearly $18 million in one year for CBC employees who failed to show up to work.

A report prepared for CBC's board of directors — which QMI Agency obtained through Access to Information — shows CBC workers were absent almost twice as often as private sector workers in fiscal year 2010-2011.

According to the document, CBC employees were absent from work an average of 16.5 days. Statistics Canada figures in the report show public sector workers took an average of 12.6 days off while private sector workers took 8.9 days.

The total cost to taxpayers for absenteeism at the state broadcaster was $17.7 million for the year.

The report cites mental disorders as the leading cause of absenteeism (31% of all short-term absences and 44.6% of all long-term absences). The second leading cause was listed as "musculoskeletal problems."