Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Did you hear the one about the woman who couldn't go to work because her chickens' feet were frozen to the driveway? It's not a joke -- it's an actual excuse given to a boss.

Gone are the days when an employee called in sick and coughed a little to make the story believable. Today, workers give a variety of excuses when they stay home from the office. And they're doing it a lot.

Almost one-third of employees admitted to calling in sick to work last year even though they weren't ill, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey. Fortunately for them, 75 percent of employers believe their employees are sick when they say they are.

But some bosses aren't falling for it.

Let's face it. In this economy, it's hard to find ways to keep office morale up. We're all guilty of taking an extra long coffee break to replenish the energy. Yes, we all escape the mundane by skirting around the internet when the boss isn't looking. But here's something a little more obvious. These employees take workplace fun to a whole new level -- organized sports.

We realize some are staged, but they're still a good laugh. Here are our six favorite video clips of office olympics.

By Ann Kelly for

A majority of your time is spent at work. And just like you keep a tool kit and first-aid supplies at home, you need some life-saving goodies on hand there, too. That's why we've come up with the modern girl's go-pack.

Here, nine things worth stashing in your desk -- eight of which fit easily inside a makeup bag -- that can come to your rescue any time you experience an unexpected meeting, wardrobe malfunction, date or morning after. Store now, look foxy all the time, and thank us later.

Emergency hair stuff Hey, tragedies like oversleeping and humidity do happen. Keep a lil' portion of dry shampoo if your locks get greasy or shine serum if you tend to frizz.

Sewing kit Using a paperclip to fasten your shirt when a button pops off mid-day? Not so classy. Instead, keep a hotel-toiletry-style sewing kit on hand.

Extra undies You can keep a neutral-tone thong in an envelope and never go without when you need one the most.

See the rest of the list >>

Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

It's Monday morning. You sign into your Facebook profile to update your status and you start due diligence on your friends' profiles. You're looking at photos from the weekend when you see that your girlfriend was tagged in an album of someone who is not your 'friend.' You click through to that person's profile to get the scoop on how they know each other. Then you see some mutual friends, click around a few more times and before you know it, you're looking at wedding photos of people you don't even know.

If you have a social networking profile, the above scenario probably seems all too familiar. (Trust me; there's a reason I was able to go through the steps of it so well...)

While many job seekers heed advice on joining social media sites to use as networking tools, they are also warned not to invest too much time -- especially at work -- in these all-consuming, often-addictive online vehicles.

Until now.

"With social media becoming a major player in how people communicate and interact with each other, it's natural that this industry needs a marketplace," says Jim Durbin, vice president of social media at Durbin Media, an interactive marketing firm. "A lot of jobs in online marketing are all now requiring some level of social media expertise. The real question is whether the jobs coalesce into new departments and position, or if they become skill sets under old departments."

By Holly Eagleson for

A good rule for office attire is dress for the position you want, not the one you have. (Which is why we always wear white sequins -- our dream job is at Dollywood.) But what exactly does that mean when your boss is more Susan Boyle than Devil Wears Prada?

Follow these easy -- but surprisingly laid-back -- dressing guidelines and you'll never be the target of co-workers' "What is she wearing?" water-cooler bitchiness.

Your Must-Have Wardrobe >>