If you walk around your office or factory this morning, you probably could point out the perverts, mean idiots and potential abusers in your midst.

The workplace jerks are rarely kept hidden. Often times, even the people in human resources know Bob has a porno problem, or Sue starts cursing and throwing things when a project fails.

Why then is it so difficult to rid the work environment of these people, especially in a tough economic environment when so many people are getting laid off? I often hear from readers that all the good employees were let go but for some reason the higher ups thought it was a good idea to keep the one toxic worker. (more…)

I’ve been glum this week thanks to a survey showing job satisfaction among Americans is at a 20-year low. More than half of you hate what you do.

“While one in 10 Americans is now unemployed, their working compatriots of all ages and incomes continue to grow increasingly unhappy,” said Lynn Franco, director of the Consumer Research Center of The Conference Board, the organization that conducted the poll. “Through both economic boom and bust during the past two decades, our job satisfaction numbers have shown a consistent downward trend.”

In addition, the survey at the right of this post is showing that most of you are staying in gigs you don’t really like because you can’t figure out what else to do.

It’s a career malaise and it’s making me depressed. What the hell do you need a career writer for if many of you can’t get out of your own career funk? (more…)