Bizarrely, it was my first panto, so I approached it with some hesitance and not a little trepidation. But within 10 minutes I was singing along and within 20 I was shouting 'she's behind you' with the best of them.

And what a panto. Who knew that Cinderella sang Amy Winehouse numbers, that one of the seven dwarves was French (and one Welsh), or that Cinders' childhood nurse, Dame Doitall (pictured) had access to Madonna's wardrobe (namely the gold conical Jean-Paul Gaultier bra).

It had it all - familiar songs, sharp dance routines, great costumes, clever sets and gusto by the bucketful.

The only thing missing was a list of job titles on the programme - I would love to have known what those dwarves did for a living. Accountant, economist, auditor?

This was PwC's 24th panto season. And while the performers and stage-hands are all staff, the audience included 5,000 under 10-year-olds, drawn from inner city schools and charities across London.

I've already asked for an invitation for next year's ... 

I reckon that's rubbish. The sun is shining, there's no ice to slip and slide over on the way to work, and the folks at iOpener have come up with 10 tips for being happy at work.

1. Greet everyone you see as you arrive: that way you'll feel connected to your colleagues.
2. Do something difficult. Everyone feels good about themselves when they meet a challenge.
3. Put things in proportion.
4. Show a close colleague some appreciation. It's all too easy to forget to thank people.
5. Think about the differences you make to others, including your family, just by being at work and doing your job well.
6. Make active choices about what you do and when. Composing a to-do list in an order you find important can increase your sense of control.
7. Phone a friend. It's always good to share and connect with people outside work.
8. Write down the parts of the job you really like: think about how you might get more out of them.
9. Volunteer to do something you wouldn't normally do. You'll get a lot of appreciation and you might learn something new.
10. Revist your main new year's resolution. Take one small step towards meeting it.

Keeping things bottled up - 'covert coping' - greatly increases the likelihood of poor health, according to the researchers. Employees, particularly men, who confront colleagues and bosses about workplace disputes are at a much lower risk of heart problems.

Covert copers were asked how they dealt with stress. Methods included not saying anything, walking away from conflict, developing head or stomach ache, or losing their temper later at home.

Judy O'Sullivan, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Stress itself is not a risk factor for heart disease, but some people's responses to stress, such as smoking or overeating, can increase the risk."

So it's official - next time your boss winds you up, just let them know what you think of them. And don't worry about the aftermath - tell them it's a health matter.

The research also showed that:

• Only 50% of workers surveyed reported good health
• The remaining 50% described their health as 'alright' or 'poor'

• 26% took no sick leave at all over the last 3 months, regardless of their state of health

• 51% of those in the 'good health' group reported productivity of 90% or above, compared with only 38% in the 'alright or poor health group'

Professor Ivan Robertson, managing director at Robertson Cooper, said: "Presenteeism in the workplace has a number of causes, one of which is related to feelings of job insecurity. Recently, this is likely to have been inflamed as a result of the recession."

Robertson added: "To prevent presenteeism, managers should reward people for the work they deliver, not the hours they put in. Investing in the health and wellbeing of workers pays dividends in terms of improved employee engagement and productivity. And it delivers considerable savings over and above those caused by driving down absenteeism."

Robertson Cooper is calling for a national debate on how businesses can find the right balance between absenteeism and presenteeism.