Spying, scoring drugs or lending a couple of quid – a survey from job site CareerBuilder reveals some of the more unusual tasks workers have been asked to undertake by bosses.

A survey from 3,600 US workers reveals seven choice examples of the oddest things managers have asked of their staff.

•Boss asked employee to spy on senior management

•Boss asked employee if she knew of anyone who could “hook him up” with illegal substances

•Boss asked employee to come up with a science fair project for her daughter

•Boss asked employee to fire his (the boss’s) brother

•Boss asked employee to lend him £400 for a down payment on a car

•Boss asked employee to be better friends with him

•Boss asked employee to scour an abandoned office building for furniture and supplies they could use

A separate UK survey of 400 professionals, also from CareerBuilder, found 52% said they like reporting to their current boss, with 57% saying they had respect for them, although only 25% thought they could learn from them.

Just under three in 10 (28%) said that their bosses have asked them to perform tasks not related to their jobs.