Does the perfect boss actually exist? Certainly, there are more sites dedicated to people complaining about their managers than there are praising them. And, if there is a perfect boss, what does he or she do that makes them perfect?

Well, a posting on The Business Research Lab has a short entry in which one writer claims to have found perfection.

The sad thing is that the list does not seem particularly difficult for bosses around the globe to follow – if only they would. In fact much of it seems like plain old common sense. For example:

• The boss asks for her employee's opinion about things that go beyond just the employee's job. Far too many employees complain that their bosses think they know everything and never have to seek the opinion of the people who report to them. Too many managers seem to think since they are managers, they know best at all times.
• "She leaves me on my own when it comes to how I do my job." There is nothing worse, according to most workers, than a micromanager who hovers over everyone's shoulder.
• When asked for advice, this manager gives it without fuss. While some managers feel like they know everything, there are others who seem to expect their direct-reports to be able to read their minds and do their job without bothering them.
• Gives fair reviews and files them on time. This is a huge complaint amongst most employees and that is that their bosses don't give timely and regular feedback and don't seem to know what their employee have actually done throughout the year.
• Assists in career growth. Too many managers don't bother to take any time to encourage their employees to grow within their career, as if they feel doing that is a threat to them.

Those five things are enough for this employee to declare her boss as "perfect." And let's face it, none of those things listed seem too difficult to accomplish. Maybe by incorporating them into your way of managing, you too can enter the realm of the perfect boss.

Now, I've done some crazy stuff in my day, but apparently I'm pretty lame because something I cannot lay claim to doing is going to work high on drugs. However, plenty of Australians polled recently cannot say the same thing.

Yep, one in three Australian methamphetamine users (say that three times in a row!) admit to going to work high.

Before pointing out that this number is dramatically elevated – let's remember that the number reflects known meth users - on a national level, this equates to about four percent of the working population. Is that high? Pardon the pun, but I'm not sure it is.

That said, I can't really fathom the point of going to work high. Setting aside the issue of whether or not recreational drug use has any value, it's hard to appreciate how a state of narcotic intoxication is going to help you in the workplace.

Funny quips aside, could you imagine what would happen if someone got high and then operated heavy machinery? While the article points out that most "offenders" worked in the service industry, I'm not sure that's any better.

Ironically, meth users ranked lower on the "good employee" list compared to other "illicit drug users" and people who don't do drugs at all. So, see, even the guy who does a spliff before coming into work is outpacing you meth users.

Unfortunately, irresponsible actions such as this will ultimately result in more work-related accidents and illnesses. What happens if an employee comes in high on meth and goes berserk while at the office? Is this a work-related accident since it was on work grounds?

Either way, either this fool or the guy who was in the way of this psychopath is likely to cost the employer in some form or fashion. Somehow, I'm not certain that facts like this are what are on this four percent's minds.

Fewer than half of all new Graduates last two years at their first job out of college. So how can you ensure you find an employer that is a good fit with your personal and professional objectives?

This podcast, hosted by our own Wayne Turmel, has some great advice.

In this podcast for Best Companies,Wayne talks to Steve Huxham, Chairman of The UK's Recruitment Society, about the key to finding the right fit. The secret? Ask lots of questions.

According to Steve, the biggest mistake newly-minted graduates make when seeking that critical first job is to forget that interviewing is more than simply answering questions. It's also a chance to ask them as well.

So how do you determine whether a company is a good fit? On way is to ask the company to describe the culture, ask your interviewer about their personal experience at the company. For other specific questions to ask, check out this.

Finally, Steve says, its important that graduates do their research before going for an interview. They need to look like they're prepared and remember that they've got one goal for the interview now that they've gotten this far - to land that job.

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Maybe the job you have is just getting to be too much. You've tried reasoning with your boss and to make the best of it, but it's just not working out. It may just be time to admit that maybe you need to choose a different career path – in which case, these tips from Quintessential Careers could come in very useful.

The first two steps really can be combined. Essentially, you need to stop and figure out what it is you really want to do. What makes you happy? What interests you and what skills do you have? Simply making the change for money and ending up in a job you hate all over again doesn't solve much.

Once you figure out what skills you have, try to figure out which of them from your previous career can transfer effectively to your new one.

After you've decided on the job you want, you may want to volunteer or take a part-time job in that field to gain some experience before jumping in full time. You can also find a mentor who can guide you through the steps you need to take in your new career to be successful.

If you are looking to just change what it is you do, you may be able to stay with the company you are at now. Perhaps staying isn't such a bad idea, but you just need to change your daily activities.

If you want to start sending out resumes spend time researching what it takes to interview for a job, prepare a resume and head back out into the world of job-searching. Most of all, you should be flexible about things including your salary.

With those things in mind, you may be able to make the career change as easily as possible. Of course, it is always difficult to make a switch like this, but the rewards you receive may alter your life in a way that will make each day easier to live with.

I came across an article online the other day that reminded me of that tune "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits. Because in Australia, you might not get money for nothing, but you might well get a bribe to stay in your job.

Yes, you read right, companies are starting to give "incentives" for people to not leave their job. What a world!

In fact, the labor shortage in parts of Australia has reached a point where employers are trying to find any creative, non-monetary way to entice their staff to stay on the job. For example, you might receive free lunches or rounds of golf to buy your loyalty.

Unfortunately (for us) this isn't the case in every industry in Australia, but those in engineering (non-IT, I believe) are in this targeted (and much envied) group.

This is an interesting concept – but where will it lead? In many countries the value of these gifts would have to be declared and taxed. Perhaps there are other ways to get people to stay – onsite childcare? Beer garden on Friday evenings? Flex time? Remote work possibilities?

This concept may well be worth maintaining, especially in periods where good workers are hard to find. However, it will be a difficult, sad day for employees when market conditions return to normal and they've got to pay for their own golf.

A Swiss bank has come up with a pretty clever way of getting women back to the workforce.

Even though the temptation of unequal pay, harassment, inflexible hours may be already too hard for some to resist, the scheme adopted by the Vaud Cantonal Bank (BCV) seems to be working.

For the past three years, the BCV has been offering a program that brings in new recruits and trains them to be customer advisers, which eventually lead to managerial positions within the bank.

Successful candidates - those who pass the training courses - are rewarded with a job. This seems to work out well for both parties; the bank can analyze the performance of a potential employee and the potential employee can truly get ahead on their merits.

What's even more impressive is that the BCV sought out women in the 35 to 50 year age group. In case those numbers aren't clear, it's cleverly designed for women with younger children who have likely been out of the work force for some time and women who sacrificed their careers for their husband – both groups that are likely to wish to return to professional life.

It's hard to find anything to criticize with this program; by all accounts it seems to be a success. It does lead one, however, to wonder why such programs cannot exist elsewhere? It's still quite a difference from my previous article about companies being miffed that they have to pay equal for equal work.

If you have had it with your job and there just doesn't seem to be anyway to fix the situation you're in, it might be time to get your resume in order. But since it may have been years since you last looked at it, what should you avoid? This piece by Anthony Balderrama over at Careerbuilder.com has a few things to keep in mind.

Number one, try not to forget the company you are applying to. Don't think you need to have just one resume for all purposes and be comfortable with tailoring each resume for each company.

Second, realize that your best bet is to put your resume online. Therefore, become comfortable with the use of "keywords."

Third, Bladerrama writes, "an advantage of updating your résumé regularly is that you can not only update your skills and accomplishments but also its format. For example, just five or 10 years ago most résumés included an objective at the top. These days, the career summary has taken its place." Four, never forget to proofread. Nothing turns an employer off than spelling and grammar errors faster.

Five, resist the urge to fib. No matter how clever you think you are, telling even the smallest lie can get you into big trouble.

Six, in Balderrama's words, "make your résumé visually appealing by using bulleted lists, plenty of white space and subheadings. Also, avoid fonts that are full of distracting swirls and colors. It doesn't matter how well-written your résumé is if no one wants to read it."

With those ideas in mind, you stand a pretty good shot at getting that new job. If you do it right, you might even get the job you've always been dreaming about.

There are few things funnier, professionally speaking, then when companies whine that a new law is unfair because it's going to force them to be – fair! It's like listening to millionaires complain that they pay too much in tax.

Well, to both, all I can do is subserviently offer some cheese to go with that whine.

In this particular case, we've got companies across Massachusetts upset that Governor Deval Patrick allowed a law slip into passage that allows people to collect triple damages for wage payment infractions.

According to the article, this law covers "the prevailing wage law; the law setting wages for building maintenance companies with state contracts; the minimum wage law; the overtime law; the law requiring timely payment of wages; and the law governing disputes about bonuses and commissions."

So, does this mean that companies are upset that they might have to pay women and other minorities equally? It's hard to say, but it's likely the case since the official reactions are along the lines of "the governor promised he was against it and now he isn't!"

Well, what exactly is the problem? Create an equal workforce and you won't have to worry about being sued triply!

This is a fine example of why it's simply not possible to trust companies to do the right thing. I'm sure we'll hear all about how this law is going to cut into profits, making it impossible to create new jobs or guarantee the safety of existing jobs, etc. But let's not be deceived, it's simply a guilt trip to lie at our feet for demanding that companies act properly and within the framework of the law.

Perhaps in the past, the court of public opinion might have listened favorably, but in today's economy, I think most men want their wives and daughters to earn as much as they possibly can to get by.

Bringing humor into the workplace is a good thing. It can improve morale and make the general drudgery and dullness of the office work easier to bear. But at the same time, being a manager who cracks jokes all the time can make you annoying to your direct-reports. Thankfully, there are people like the self-proclaimed Dr. Humor who can help.

In an article written for "Commerce Now" magazine back in 1995, the good doctor says that "except for April Fool's Day and the usual jokes exchanged with colleagues, business people tend to take things pretty seriously, maybe too seriously. In fact, companies are increasingly recognizing that business success can (and should) be a laughing matter."

He then goes on to list a number of companies he claims have started to introduce humor into their regular work day such as, "General Electric, AT&T, Kodak, Lockheed and IBM."

According to the author of the article and Dr. Humor, "it is increasingly considered essential for managers to have a sense of humor, noted in an article in Nation's Business as one of the seven qualities of a 'great boss.'"

The doctor then offers some advice, some of which we have heard before, such as knowing your audience before telling any jokes. Some jokes can be offensive to some people and turn you from a person known for laughs to someone looking for a new job.

However, the doctor also states that humor reduces stress and greatly improves the productivity of the employees, if it is handled correctly.

So, if things seem a bit dark and dim and productivity is low in your office, you may want to try to lighten things up a bit with some laughter. Just be careful and avoid telling the dirty and racial jokes. If things are already grim, nothing could turn that into hatred faster than a poorly-thought-out joke.

There's growing discontent in the British IT workplace, according to an English on-line job placement service, and it's an important bit of news for everyone.

According to a survey from Womenintechnology.co.uk, women are increasingly tired of the IT field in the UK, thanks largely to its significant work/life imbalance.

According to the survey, a resounding 55% of women felt that they enjoyed a semblance of a work/life balance, but almost every respondent added some sort of clause and then indicated some sort of displeasure with their current state.

The greatest concern among the ladies is inflexible working conditions. Indeed, even worse are the promises of flexible working conditions that only end up being met with inflexibility.

It's no secret that many women choose to have careers; it also won't come as a surprise to many to learn that a number of these women may choose to have a family.

This isn't a superficial choice where one should be forced to choose. For men who may feel otherwise, think about how better you are off financially (or that you get by) thanks to that second salary. For men whose wives do not work an office job, remember that there are a lot of women who, like you, are a breadwinner for the household.

It would be an absolute shame to the workforce to start losing women because they feel that they are unable to fully commit to both duties. Can you imagine the talent and brain drain from the current labor force - not to mention the decrease in productivity?

If you've read my posts in the past, you'll certainly know where I stand on work/life balance and how essential it is. Let's not start making women choose between work and family, because the workplace is going to lose every time without ever fully understanding what it is that was lost.

The key to a good night's sleep is leaving the office at the office. As a recent study from the University of Michigan has found, problems in the workplace can have a big impact on how you sleep.

The ten-year study of 23,000 respondents showed that over half (!!!) of those studied found that negatives in the workplace had a definite affect on quality pillow time.

These negative factors include long hours/overtime, working weekends, and above all, being harassed or hassled at work actually ruined a night's sleep.

The study also revealed that people with young children also were more susceptible to a bad night's sleep due to work.

While I can appreciate that not everyone feels the same, I've always believed that health and family come before employer. After all, what possible good are you to someone's bottom line if you are overworked and under loved?

Joking aside, it's not reasonable to expect a fresh performance from someone who is working a 9-10 hour day and the, presumably, has a tiring commute home from the office.

It's important for companies to monitor any potential health issues of their employees. It would be silly to think that an employee is going to risk looking weak or uncommitted by coming forward to tell the boss that yesterday's marathon work session tuckered them out.

Striking a proper balance between work, health, and home time – and quality of thereof - is a major benefit to everyone, so why not work on improving performance in the sack (sleep wise, that is).

With the pressure of the upcoming Olympic Games keeping the spotlight on China for sundry reasons, it was just a question of time before we started to see concrete changes in Beijing. One such example is the creation of several new "super ministries", most notably a Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

What does this mean? For starters, it means that foreign companies looking to take advantage of perceived laxness in the Chinese labor market may have a more difficult time of it. With presumably improved government oversight, labor laws currently on the books are more likely to be enforced or at least mean fewer attempts made to circumvent those laws.

This new government entity is actually the combination of two existing government ministries, whose aims are to better enforce current labor laws, especially the new Labor Contract laws. A number of foreign multinationals have shown to be in non-compliance of these new labor laws, notably food manufacturers Kraft and Danone.

What this means for the rank and file employee in China remains to be seen. Will non-compliance simply mean a hefty fine levied or can offending companies expect to change their ways? With so much attention on China at the moment, perhaps it might mean some of the latter, but I wouldn't hold my breath once the games are over and things return to the status quo.

The Times Online has some absolutely spot on advice for those starting a new job. The first day can be stressful for anyone, so let's review some of the Times' advice for getting through the first day and starting off on the right foot.

First, leave your parents at home. According to the article, one new hire showed up on his first day with dear old mom in tow. I'm not quite clear on what the young man thought was so hot about this idea, but I'm going to have to side with the Times – leave her (and any other family members) at home.

Secondly, be a careful driver on the way in. In another anecdote, a new hire rushed to get to the office for his first day and ended up cutting off another driver and giving him presumably a two-fingered salute as he did so. As it turns out, the recipient of the salute was also the poor driver's new boss.

Thirdly, make sure you're in the right place at the right time. As silly as this might sound, it sounds quite common for people to turn up at the wrong location - i.e. wrong building, wrong city, or wrong floor – on their first day. Do try to get the address right on the first day.

Finally, don't spend your time comparing your new job to your last one. Have you ever known a new girl or boyfriend to enjoy constant comparisons to the last love of your life? Well, neither will you new employer, so don't do it.

While this advice isn't guaranteed to make you a vice-president overnight, it does increase the likelihood that you'll be invited back for a second day on the job.

This advice is also universal, I'd be hard pressed to think of any cultures where it might not hold true, and so you can take this to the bank!

These are crazy days in the world of finance and work; in fact, I don't even dare look at my IRA (Individual Retirement Account) any more. It's lost enough in the past three months to send me on a nice European vacation.

But things aren't looking dismal for all of us; in fact, if you're looking for a big piece of cheese no matter the quality of your performance, here's a hot tip: become a CEO.

As USA Today reports, things are looking greener than ever for American CEOs despite troubling losses and subpar performances.

While one can appreciate the risks and stress that are involved for CEOs and I can understand that they won't be paid anywhere remotely near what us mere mortals are paid, one still has to wonder. How does a company expect productivity and morale to stay boosted at a time when jobs are becoming increasingly precarious, salaries for most people are stagnating and benefits are starting to try up – while CEOs are being handsomely paid for sitting on top of massive losses (KB Home? Merrill Lynch?)

It's simply not normal behavior to outlandishly reward mediocre performance with obscene amounts of money. Why should these guys care about what happens to the company (or their co-workers) when they are all but assured of a very golden parachute on the way out?

While CEOs take a lot of responsibility, they are also supposed to work to make profit for their shareholders – the real owners of companies. When they fail that task, they should be shown the same courtesies afforded sales people who miss targets or production managers who under produce.

Of course, that's not likely anytime soon since American unemployment offices are unaccustomed to welcoming multi-millionaires into their offices to apply for benefits.

Next to wanting respect from their bosses, it seems most employees want to earn a decent wag and too many don't think they are. In fact according to a study cited in the this piece on Monster.com, around four out of 10 employees believe they are earning less than the market rate for their job.

How can you be sure? Well, the first bit of advice is to seek out one of the many tools available to employees that help them calculate what they should be earning given their position. There are many of these online.

One of the best ways to find out what you are worth is to keep yourself constantly on the market. While it may not be prudent to let your boss know your resume is still out there, it may help you determine what you could be earning.

You can also become friendly with recruiters. These are people whose job it is to know what positions earn what salary. They can give you the information you need to track your own career.

If you can find the person who had your job before you, you may want to ask him or her about their salary and the work they did. Even if talking about your salary is a no-no at your company, you may still learn valuable information about your new position.

Think about when you were hired and what your situation was at the time. Did you take the first offer that came your way? If so, you may not have gotten the best deal out there.

Finally, determine if it's really your salary that's bothering you. It could be the company you work for, or that you are just in the wrong career. Don't be afraid to make a change.

Once you do a rundown of those suggestions, you can then determine if you need to make some kind of switch. If you still want the job you have, it may be time to sit down with your supervisor and have a talk about your salary.