One in five people work for the "boss from hell" who bullies staff into getting results, according to a survey.
A poll of more than 1,000 employees found that unpopular managers were most likely to work in London.
Staff in Wales and the Midlands were more likely to have a dream boss who inspired them, while two out of three workers in the West Country considered their manager to be a close friend.
Just over half those questioned by banking giant Lloyds TSB and campaign group Working Families said they believed they could do a better job than their boss.
Fiona Cannon, head of equality and diversity at Lloyds TSB, said: "One of the keys to being a good boss is to understand the importance of work-life balance. People work hard and they get fed up if their boss doesn't recognise that they have a life outside of work."
The survey was commissioned to mark the launch of a search to find the UK's best boss for 2004.
Wednesday December 10, 2003
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