New research from First Direct reveals almost seven million (28%) workers have moved jobs in an attempt to find a better boss and improved working environment.

So elusive is the perfect boss that more than one in 10 (12%) workers have taken up a new career entirely in their search, while one in 20 (5%) have decided to try their own hand at being boss and set up a business by themselves.

For Britain's bosses, there are some clear lessons on what would make their workplace more successful. The research reveals the five most valuable qualities for a manager are:

The report also finds bad behaviour in the workplace is putting a strain on British business's bottom line. When working under a bad boss, employees report a loss of motivation (47%) and productivity (28%), with one in five (18%) taking 'sickies' as an avoidance tactic. 15% of workers have had to cover for their managers' incompetence, leading one in six (17%) to feel their company has suffered as a result. The key failing of British bosses is uninspiring leadership. Under a third (31%) of employees describe their boss as a good leader and almost one in four (28%) as a good communicator, while almost nine out of 10 (88%) say their boss is not inspiring.

First Direct head of marketing, Paul Say, said: "When it comes to fostering British creativity at work, it seems many managers are holding back the true potential of their staff. More than three quarters of workers (77%) think their boss does not encourage new ideas or allow self-expression."

"The results make for bleak reading and given the current economic climate, so much untapped potential is a serious issue. But valuing workers as individuals and embracing their creativity can make all the difference."