go on, admit it: you hate your boss. you do. the way they accost you with: "it'll just take five minutes" as you're trying to leave. the way they smile patronisingly when they read your appraisal request for more training. just them having power over you for eight hours every day is enough to make you spit with fury.

　　but at least we're not alone in our angst. it seems bosses are also a bit cross: they hate us, too. all of us.

　　the result of all this is that while your boss might look like she's fine, inside she's seething. you think you hate your boss? here are the top 10 things your boss hates about you.

　　1. lateness

　　everyone has days when the bus breaks down, the washing machine packs up, or the alarm doesn't go off. the problem is that some people have those days monday through friday. but what really cheeses off your boss is your lame excuse.

　　2. lack of initiative

　　"don't ask me if you should buy lunch for the client, if the client is coming at noon," said one infuriated manager. "call up the client and ask if they want lunch." actually that's not quite what he said: there was a lot more swearing in the original version. managers absolutely hate being bothered by stuff that really, if you thought about it for even a second, you could work out for yourself. they also hate constant updates and being ccd in on everything. they pay you to do a job get on with it...

　　3. too much initiative

　　... unless you're an idiot. a marketing manager for a large educational charity reports that if there's one thing worse than lack of initiative, it's completely ignoring instructions to go off and do something else instead. she recently found herself on stage, ready to announce the winner of an award. when the person responsible for counting the votes turned up, he showed off a new, whizzy and completely redundant color-coded method for counting the votes.

　　4. lack of passion. or interest

　　it might come as a surprise to you, but your boss has a life outside work. they too find it hard to get up in the morning. and they find the managing director's speeches as boring as you do. but they have to stay motivated, because they are the boss. so, when you fall asleep in meetings, can't remember the names of your accounts and tell them it doesn't matter whether the e-mail goes today or tomorrow, it reminds them that they don't really give a toss either, but that it's their job to make themselves, and you, care. then they get really, really irritated.

　　5. trying to be their best friend

　　they don't want to go down the pub with you, they don't want to hear about what you really think of their boss, and they most certainly don't want to know what happened between you and andy in the loos last friday. they like you, but they know from bitter experience that if they show too much interest, you'll start treating them like a friend and refuse to take orders.

　　6. petty lying

　　saying that you missed the call because your mobile has run out of power. that you didn't get the e-mail. that you've sent the report but there must be a technical glitch. that the meeting has run over and it's not worth your coming back to the office. that you have to go to a funeral, the dentist, the doctor, your mum's house, your best friend's cousin's wedding. whatever. the biggest insult is that you think they believe you.