Nobody likes beets, Dwight! Why don't you grow something that everybody does like? You should grow candy."

"Pam, I'm public speaking, so please stop public interrupting me."

"Alright, Kevin... you are accused of making sexually suggestive remarks to Angela, that made her feel uncomfortable. Solution: Angela, you are to make sexually suggestive remarks to Kevin that make him feel uncomfortable."

Do any of these requests sound familiar to you? If not, they should -- they come from Michael Scott, the world's most famous boss. Unfortunately, the world of bad bosses isn't limited to cable network television.

We asked our readers what weird requests they've received from their bosses, Michael Scott style. Here are 10 of the most entertaining responses we received*:

The phrase "We need to talk" is as uncomfortable to say as it is to hear. Few people enjoy delivering bad news, and even fewer people enjoy dealing with its aftermath. Whether you're breaking up with someone or telling your boss that you're quitting, the moments (or days) that follow are uncomfortable.

The awkward conversation is made even worse when you'll inevitably see the person you're talking to on a frequent basis. Unfortunately that's the situation many workers face when their colleagues are getting on their nerves and they can't take it anymore. A conversation needs to happen, but how do you go about it?

What's bugging you and does it matter?

Before you can tell your co-worker what is bothering you, you should make sure you know what specific action is bothering you. Otherwise you'll end up rambling about the many things you dislike about your colleague, from his bad haircut to the way he says "supposably." Deciding how to approach the issue comes down to one simple question: "Is his or her behaviour affecting my ability to do my job?"

If the answer is yes, then you need to approach the topic from that perspective because it's the most relevant. If the answer is no and you're just annoyed, then you need to weigh the pros and cons of having the conversation so that you don't make the situation worse.

How to deal with the little things

The small annoyances can be taken care of with informal communication if you have a good relationship with the other person. This behaviour might distract you at times but it's not going to seriously damage your productivity. A quick e-mail, a friendly comment over the cubicle wall or a brief conversation in the hallway can often be enough. For example:

·         "Hey, Maria, I know you've got a great three-point shot, but could you not bounce that basketball against my wall? You're making the pictures of my cats fall off."

·         "I will buy you an economy-sized box of mints if you promise to stop popping your gum, Luis."

·         "If you're getting paid for every joke e-mail you forward, you must be a millionaire, Lydia."

Using small jokes or brief asides lets you air your grievance to the person without making a big to-do about the situation. After all, you're dealing with mildly annoying behaviour, not a serious issue.

According to a 2009 study by Internet security firm Proofpoint, 8 percent of companies with over 1,000 employees have fired someone for their social media actions -- a figure that is double what was reported in 2008. Yet it probably comes as no surprise that Facebook firings are on the rise. Cases of employers firing employees for social media slipups have been consistent in the news over the past few years.

Just in case you need a refresher of what not to say online, here's a timeline of 12 ridiculous examples of how Facebook can get you fired.

1. November 4, 2008:  New England Patriots cheerleader Caitlin Davis was cut from the squad over controversial pictures that were posted on her Facebook page. Then eighteen-year-old Davis was at a Halloween party when she posed for photos with a passed out man who was covered in graffiti, including swastikas, anti-Semitic remarks and profanity. Davis was fired from the squad after the pictures appeared on various Internet websites and caught the attention of the Patriot's management team. She had been the youngest cheerleader ever to make an NFL squad.

2. February 26, 2009: A U.K. teenager was fired for calling her job "boring." According to The Daily Mail, Kimberley Swann posted comments like "First day at work. Omg (oh my god)!! So dull!!" and "All I do is shred holepunch and scan paper!!!" [sic]. Swann was canned after her boss discovered the comments.

3. March 9, 2009: Dan Leone, a stadium operations employee for the Philadelphia Eagles, was fired for voicing his opinion on the team's trading practices via Facebook. Leone reportedly updated his Facebook status with "Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver ... Dam Eagles R Retarted!!" [sic].

4. April 27, 2009: A Swiss woman was let-go after calling in sick, and then logging into Facebook on her "sick day." Apparently the women had a migraine and called out of work because she thought the light from a computer would bother her and she needed to lie in a dark room. When her employer caught her surfing Facebook, it was presumed that she was indeed well enough to sit in front of a computer, and she was let go.

Given the amount of time you spend with your co-workers, it's not hard to figure out why gossip is so prevalent in the workplace.  Throw in the occasional happy hour cocktail or colleague with a fondness for over-share and gossip becomes virtually unavoidable.

Though hearsay at work may be a given, it's no excuse to run your mouth about whatever -- to whomever -- you like.  Whether you're the office Chatty Cathy or just the occasional eavesdropper, partaking in office gossip can be risky, and discretion must be used to avoid embarrassment, hurt feelings or even termination.

Below, our experts provide gossip guidelines to help you avoid becoming a casualty of corporate chit-chat.

1. Maintain confidences

"Your employment may involve access to confidential information and conversations," says Cynthia Kazalia, a placement specialist for New Directions Career Center in Ohio. "The wise professional respects privileged information -- not sharing it with others -- unless it involves a breach of policy or protocol. Should policy be violated, only the appropriate organizational or governing authorities should be notified. Information should always be shared on a 'need-to-know' basis," she says.

2.  Leave the higher-ups out of it

As a general rule: Don't gossip to -- or about -- your boss or company executives, advises Susan Fletcher, a psychologist and author of "Working in the Smart Zone." "You may not like a decision your boss or company higher-ups make but gossiping [about it] will not get you points," she says.

Put simply: Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

3.  Stay positive

"Always speak with discretion and only bring up negatives when absolutely necessary," says Jules Zunich, owner of Z Group PR in Boise, Idaho. "If you have to discuss a negative situation, keep it as impersonal as possible."

Echoes Kazalia, "Remember that old saying, 'If you can't say something nice ...' It holds true at work, too. Talk around the water cooler should be upbeat."

4.  Assess your risk

If you are sharing a funny story that happened to a friend this weekend or you're discussing your displeasure with the snack selection in the vending machine, chances are your chatter is benign. Talking to someone in a different department about your crazy colleague or downloading your own version of why the company earnings were bad this quarter is another story.

"Unless you know you are in a confidential conversation, don't say anything you wouldn't want the CEO to read about on the front page of the New York Times," Zunich says.

Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas -- which specializes in teaching corporate etiquette -- suggests using the "boardroom gauge."  "Ask yourself 'Could I say it in the boardroom?' If not, think very carefully before making or passing along remarks that could backfire," Gottsman says.