Things can get crazy at work from time to time. For most of the working world, the craziness tends to center around a co-worker or cranky clients, but from time to time things can become downright bizarre, as this piece on CNN demonstrates.

The number one story is one that really should not be followed by anyone who values their health. A juvenile probation officer, for charity, ate one of every item in a vending machine in one day. This brought her over 7,000 calories and over 300 grams of fat for her troubles.

A woman from Domino's Pizza was robbed at gunpoint by two men. As she stood on the side of the road trying to recover she was surprised when her phone rang and it was one of the robbers apologizing for the robbery – and then asking her out on a date.

A carpenter was found not guilty after being arrested for indecent exposure for plying his trade in the nude. The carpenter argued that doing his work nude allowed him greater freedom of movement and kept his clothes clean. He may want to be careful operating the nailgun, however.

An employee from a factor that made screws built specially hidden compartments in his clothes and brought home as many as 7,000 screws with him on a daily basis. He then sold them online at discounted prices. He was caught and arrested after having brought home an estimated 1.1 million screws at a value of over $155,000.

Then owner of a car dealership had two of his employees killed after they asked for raises. Keep that in mind before you ask your boss for one.

There are many more stories available at the link and website. It is likely 2008 will have its own list at this same time next year.

Perhaps it's time for you to find a new job or, given the state of the economy, maybe you've been laid off and you need to find something fast. If so, this piece over at Careerbuilder.com is just what you need.

Marty Nemko's One Week Job Search is just as its name suggests. Start on Monday by writing your resume. After writing it, get feedback from people whose opinions you respect. And work on your elevator pitches - short explanations of why you are perfect for the job you want.

On Tuesday you should identify 25 companies you want to work for. Then contact (via phone or e-mail), 25 people who are likely to be of assistance to you in your search.

On Wednesday you should follow up on leads that are not part of the 25 companies you have identified. You should then visit the websites of the 25 employers you put on your list and learn about what the companies do.

For the remainder of the week you should apply for jobs at the companies you are interested in but, he also suggests sending e-mails to the CEOs of those that don't have any jobs posted.

According to Nemko, after your week of preparation and sending out the resumes, you should start hearing responses the following week. If not, he suggests following up and leaving voicemails if need be.

He also advises that you should be prepared to not hear back from most of the people you reach out to, but you will get a few nibbles of interest if you keep at it.

If you follow those steps, it may just be possible for you to find the job you've been dreaming about and at the company you've always wanted to work for.

I had a great laugh reading this article from Reuters India that mentioned that 25% of Americans feel that their company is a dictatorship and over half feel that their employer stifles creativity.

Sadly, I think most countries would display similar study results. However, I still have to ask… what???

If you're the type of person who wants democracy on the job, you've got two choices: don't work or create your own business. In both cases, you can decide how democratic or not you want to be.

When one chooses to work for someone else, they basically agree to take on a job or task and to execute it in order to make profit for the person cutting the paycheck.

The same goes for creativity, but unless you are in marketing or some other profession that requires creativity, why offer yours? Again, most jobs are created with a specific role in mind; some people just like to expand those roles to make them more interesting.

Don't get me wrong, I've worked for many dictatorial companies in the past, and I've often felt that I haven't been able to contribute my talents to the benefit of the company. In those cases, I left. To me, this study suggests that 25-50% of Americans (and probably workers worldwide) are unhappy and aren't in the right job just yet.

What does it take to get ahead in the modern working world? Does it just take hard work or does it take kissing up to the right people?

Well, if you are going into a job that you hate and you are struggling to move up, maybe it's your relationship status outside of the office that's the problem. That's at least one of the reasons to love being single according to this piece, 5 Reasons you Should Embrace Singlehood.

According to the writer, there are actually several reasons that have nothing to do with your career that being single is something that should be celebrated. Such reasons are: Being able to do whatever you want, a chance to grow personally, building friendships and cultivating a sense of adventure because you don't have to worry about your significant other.

Number 5, however, is the one that seems the most intriguing. As the author writes:

"While we aren't advocating that you spend every waking minute of your life at the office, being single does give you the opportunity to focus on your career. Without commitments or distractions, you can put all of your energy toward getting that promotion you've been lusting after or taking classes so that you can switch jobs. It might not seem like much of a consolation at the time, but all of those late nights will pay off in the long run."

So, if you find yourself unable to focus on what you need to in order to further your career, it may be the relationship with your love interest that's holding you back.

Of course, breaking up can also cause stress that can leak into your work life, but maybe the freedom to fail at your career and not affect your significant other is what you need to climb to that next rung.

Would it surprise you to know that Scotland has an obesity problem second only to the United States? It surprised the hell out of me, and apparently it did to Scottish health officials who are taking decisive action. According to the Financial Times, Scotland has an obesity rate of 22% of men and 24% of women.

While many might feel that this is a personal issue to be dealt with privately, the fact of the matter is that most of us spend the majority of our daylight hours at the office. In other words, it's at work where we are most likely to indulge bad habits, such as inactivity, sugary snacks, unbalanced meals, etc.

The Scottish response is to address the issue at the source in an original way. The government has commissioned software that would offer an interactive way of seeing the dangers of obesity or putting on too much weight. This software would be made available in companies across the country.

I agree with government officials that targeting companies in order to address the dangers of obesity is the right approach to take; I'm still not convinced that software is the way to address the issue.

For example, everyone knows the dangers of smoking yet they do it in light of massive ad campaigns against the issue. That's not to say we shouldn't try, but creating software doesn't seem like the most efficient idea to me.

Perhaps we could start by no longer selling cola or junk food at the office or taking away boxes of biscuits or pretzels.

Thank heavens for positive-thinking people; to be honest, I'm more of a "the glass is half empty" kind of guy, so I tend to notice the gray clouds and not the blue sky.

In contrast, this recent article discussing the affects of soaring fuel costs and its effect on the workplace manages to put a positive gloss on what could be seen as a very negative phenomenon.

Though the price of petrol has surged dramatically most place in the world, it's a reasonable assumption that Americans consume more petrol and drive more to work than most other people in other countries.

Even at the senior level of my job, in terms of experience and pay, I started to notice that our budget was taking a hit by filling up our modest family-sized car. But due to the realities of most peoples' lives, reducing petrol consumption is not a very realistic hope.

But how would those not as fortunate in their professional lives ever manage to keep up with the cost of petrol? How would those who bought "gas guzzlers" survive?

According to this article, companies are starting to take the hint and start changing the way we do business. Specifically, reasonable options such as telecommuting, four-day work weeks, gas reimbursements and car-pooling are now up for discussion in many companies.

The article continues that this is part of a new workplace revolution that helps connect the United States to the rest of the global workplace.

For most places, and definitely in the US, out of control petrol prices are going to force us to re-think the way we work or how we work together. Unfortunately, it's only now that problems have gotten out of hand that we're willing to look at measures that were "preventive" just a short time ago. It's just another instance of solving yesterday's problems today.

A new website has come into existence that should send many a CEO into fits. It's designed to allow employees to anonymously tell everyone everything about their job and the company they work for.

The website, Glassdoor.com, describes itself as, "career and workplace community where anyone can find and anonymously share real-time reviews, ratings and salary details about specific jobs for specific employers — all for free."

Participants start out by signing up and then submitting a salary review or an employer review. This information is saved anonymously and then they can go ahead and look around at what other employees have said about their bosses and their companies.

For example, one of the very first companies reviewed on the home pages is the computer giant Microsoft. The company has a very positive rating, with the reviewer listed as "satisfied."

More than half - 56% - of those reviewing CEO, Steve Ballmer, have given him a positive review. One of the comments about MS states, "The compensation is amazing. While it's true that there are many companies doing interesting projects, the pay and benefits at Microsoft simply blow away other company. Their offers are almost impossible to turn down."

Of course, that's just the positive. There are plenty of negatives ones as well, and the website is brand new. So, from the good to the bad this website has plenty that a manager can learn. Perhaps the positive things are programs that you can implement in your company, while the negative things are those that you probably want to avoid.

You're certainly forgiven if you've give up trying to follow the Irish vote on the Treaty of Lisbon. In fact, it's been anything but easy to follow for several reasons. A recent article in the Irish Sunday Business Post offers some simple answers to some uneasy questions.

Why are European treaty votes so difficult to follow? Well, for starters, they never seem to cover a single issue but rather a hodge-podge of issues.

More confusing is the tendency of Europeans to protest any votes or treaty for reasons that often have nothing to do with the actual content of the treaty before them. For example, you might find a treaty dealing with the number of hours one can legally work per day in the EU attracts the wrath of fishermen protesting port fees.

In this particular case, what is important for employees across Europe is whether the EU will continue to be a social Europe or adopt a more liberal (European definition, please) stance. For American readers, the term liberal in Europe refers to a more market-oriented approach, similar to one advocated by Republicans in the US.

This may well have been a top concern for Irish voters who were decidedly against the treaty, which deals yet another embarrassing rebuke of EU legislation. Where the EU goes from here remains to be seen, but it's suffered quite a few black eyes in recent years and could stand to get back to winning ways.

It seems that busy lives are making it tougher to get through the entire work day and still remain conscious. As this article at CNN.com explains sleeping on the job is a growing problem.

The article cites a survey from the "National Sleep Foundation" that shows one third of those who were surveyed had fallen asleep, or become excessively sleepy, while at work. The same survey also discovered that Americans work more and are attempting to get by on less sleep than ever before.

On average, an American sleeps about six hours and forty minutes a night while the average work day for the same person is nine hours and twenty-eight minutes.

The problem with this is that lack of sleep can profoundly affect a company's bottom line. Further studies have shown that lack of sleep causes workers to perform their jobs slower and less efficiently. Those who lack sleep also have reduced immune systems which means they are sick more often and more likely to lose days at work.

This has resulted in companies providing things such as "nap rooms" or even allowing employees to sleep at their desks. Some companies are calling these "serenity rooms" which allow workers to take short, maybe twenty-minute, naps that allow them to return to work function closer to their fullest than without naps.

Studies at companies that allow this show it works better than coffee or other forms of staying awake the people are known to try.

So, if your workforce seems to be slowing down in the afternoons, it may not be all in your head. It may just be time to let them rest for a little while. Letting them get a few minutes of rest may actually improve their productivity rather than detract from your companies'.

According to Pacific Bridge, who regularly puts out an Asian HR newsletter, multinational companies in India are starting to rethink their offshore plans. In fact, according to one recent article, the cost of an employee in India is starting to cost anywhere from $45-60k per year - in US dollars!

With the cost of living and business on the rise everywhere, it's certainly no surprise to see that India is no longer the worldwide capital of cheap labor (China probably wears that mantle now, one day to be followed by Africa).

However, moving forward, what is the best response? Should these companies (Hello, Dell), continue to maintain established Asian operations or bring the jobs back home? The article focuses on skilled labor, but what is the new cost of unskilled labor, such as call centers? Do these jobs incur the same 12% rate rise as the technology sector?

When we focus on the cost of offshoring or the new reality based on rising costs, I think it's essential that we look at the big picture and not just the attempted justification for hiring skilled labor there. $60k is a pretty good salary in most places in the United States; especially since this number included training and travel (most likely to the United States).

Despite the rise in costs, I can't imagine any of these companies pulling out – especially to return to the US. That would be a lot of crow to eat, as well as counterproductive – after all, the goal was always to lower costs, not raise or equal them.

So the next direction may be even further east – while the likely response would be for Indian companies to offer some sort of incentives for companies to remain.

No matter how you slice it, it seems to be an assured victory for both business and government, but the displaced workers across the US and Europe seems to be on the losing end of the stick of that deal.

The Norwich Bulletin, known worldwide for being light years ahead of its competitors when it comes to truth, justice, and the American way, has struck again! I happened across their recent commentary about the state of the tie in the American workplace.

The tie? Yes, the cravat is about as cool as, well, nothing. Or as the Bulletin's Jeff Vrable puts it, "along with Air Supply and Republicans, necktie popularity these days is at an all-time low."

A recent Gallup study reveals that only 6 percent of men wear ties on a daily basis to work. I wonder if this is the 6% that earned an annual salary of $250,000 per annum as well. In fact, the article goes on to say that the trade group of American tie makers is closing its doors due to dwindling makers!

While I personally enjoy a fine tie – accompanied by a properly executed double Windsor knot, I enjoy it as much as I do a fine double-malt scotch or a cigar – as a treat to be enjoyed only once in a great while. In other words, I'm quite happy to see ties go the way of the dodo bird with respect to daily wear in the office.

While I expect my doctor or attorney to dress slightly better than a software engineer, I'm ready and willing not to assume incompetence if either is wearing a smart shirt sans tie when I have an appointment. Ties are an all too often abused accessory that frequently ends up being removed hastily once a man gets to his car (just like it was thrown on hastily upon arrival at the office).

Let's stop pretending that they serve any noble or higher purpose and try to convince the remaining six percent to call it a day!

Everyone has run into the situation where you are running late for work. Perhaps you just overslept or maybe you have a legitimate reason, but your boss has heard it all. What do you say? What can you say that will sound real and not set off alarm bells.

Well, despite the title of the article on CNN being 10 best excuses for coming to work late, the interesting part of the article is the list of ten excuses you should avoid.

According to the article's author, Rosemary Haefner, all of the following excuses were actually given as reasons why someone was late:

1. While rowing across the river to work, I got lost in the fog.
2. Someone stole all my daffodils.
3. I had to go audition for American Idol.
4. My ex-husband stole my car so I couldn't drive to work.
5. My route to work was shut down by a Presidential motorcade.
6. I have transient amnesia and couldn't remember my job.
7. I was indicted for securities fraud this morning.
8. The line was too long at Starbucks.
9. I was trying to get my gun back from the police.
10. I didn't have money for gas because all of the pawn shops were closed.

So, if you find yourself running late, even if one of the reasons above is the actual reason you are late, you may want to consider coming up with something else. Haefner suggests that you try to judge the company you are working for and their tolerance for being late. Whatever that culture is, prompt or laid-back, you should try to change your behavior to match it.

Still, even if you do this, you might end up running late. If that's the case, take a deep breath, and then turn on your creative juices. The excuse you use may be the one that saves your job.

There's nothing quite like youth sticking it to the man when the man has it coming. In a recent British online magazine, I came across this poll revealing that if personal web surfing to be banned in their workplace, 39% of 18-24 year old workers would consider leaving their job. That number drops to 16% in the 25-65 demographic (though that group seems to be quite large!)

Now I can imagine what a number of fourtysomethings are saying upon reading these results, "grow up!" However, the workplace today is a far cry from what my parents knew and will certainly be different when my children start their careers.

As an IT professional in my early thirties, I've never known a job where personal surfing wasn't an unwritten perk of the job. In fact, it only became a problem if colleagues abused the privilege.

If we're going to be honest with the question, a company that outright bans any type of personal web surfing on the job is most likely to be equally inflexible on a wide array of other issues. Most people don't spend their day surfing for personal benefit, nor does the average worker spend the day surfing inappropriate sites.

So as far as I'm concerned, if a company were to ban sites like You Tube or any sort of streaming web content, this would be a completely reasonable decision.

I've got to side with the 18-24 year olds, even if it has been a while since I've been in their group, but if my company were to take such draconian measures and remove a commonly accepted benefit in many industries, I too would go to a company that wasn't so 1991 in its attitudes.

Boy, it seems like the millennium generation (those born between 1980 and 1985) just can't catch a break, can they? Not only have previous generations handed them a sluggish economy, a polluted planet, and just about every other negative one can think of, but now it seems they're likely to suffer from job burnout a lot faster than we did (or will).

That's what CNN seems to think; I would tend to agree, but not for the same reasons.

The CNN article paints the current generation with a pretty broad brush. While it's true that perhaps today's younger crowd feels the need to work harder or to be more productive in order to get ahead, it's perhaps simply a sign of the times.

The article asserts that today's younger crowd feels a sense of entitlement, which leads them to assert more and tire more quickly. While every generation has its few that feels entitled to something for nothing, I don't think this represents even a small minority of the millenniums.

On the contrary. I think that if the millenniums are quickly working themselves into the ground (or grave), it's rather out of a necessity to do so. The article asserts that somehow the millenniums will jump into management roles held by retiring baby boomers because there is no one else to do it; what a load of rubbish! This totally forgets the "Generation X" crowd that is still in their early 30s!

This article is full of absurd statements, such as the one I mentioned in the previous paragraphs. About the only information that is spot on is that fact that the millenniums will have to be careful to strike a proper work/life balance. Once they set the standard for all work and no play, future employers will expect no less!

The Times of India recently ran an interesting article about the allergies and irritants facing people today in modern office buildings.

While not every allergy or irritation is sufficient enough to induce a lawsuit, it can explain why you often feel bad while at the office – so-called "sick building syndrome".

Before you laugh it off, it is important to note that some allergies can become fatal with repeated exposure. Should you feel ill in the workplace, it's important to consult medical help and determine the cause of your allergy. Once determines, you can work with HR or management to determine the appropriate course of action.

According to the article:

"The chemical formaldehyde is present in rugs, upholstered furniture, wallpaper, draperies, paint, and cigarette smoke. It can cause cough, cold, sneezing, wheezing, sore nasal passage, flu-like symptoms, asthma, irritated throat or watery eyes. Poor air quality due to poor ventilation. Toxic gases including formaldehyde lurk around your computers and desks causing respiratory illnesses. Dust mites and other small insects are allergen carriers. Places where pesticides are not used, this can be a cause for allergy."

Should you develop a reaction to an irritant or allergen, make sure that your company is made clear of the issue immediately. Documentation provided by a health care specialist can also make the case for taking the necessary steps to eradicate the problem.

Even though I may have mocked the woman suing her employer because of bed bugs in an earlier post this week, it's more of a reaction to her emotional response to the situation rather than any medical or physical response.

Being serious for a moment, being safe at work is hardly a luxury - it's a right. And when our health and well-being are not being looked after, it's time to let the company know.