Since his first public gaffe, Theodorou said he has learned to handle workplace stress by maintaining an emotional detachment from the task at hand while making decisions.

"By using logic, and following the (standard operating procedures), everything is no longer personal, just business. Even errors. I then go home and engage my hobbies."

Theodorou had no choice but to try to do better on the next issue of the magazine. He slowed down and went over his work again carefully. He made a checklist and had another technician perform a quality control inspection before starting the four-hour process of printing the covers.

"It only added about 15 minutes to the job, but they were a well-spent 15 minutes," he said.

Corporate recruiter Steven Raz said the recession can increase people's concerns about doing well at work.

He advised that if you do make a mistake, you should have a plan to correct it. If the mistake is big, get help.

"It's always recommended that if something happens like that, and it's too big to handle, that's when you should bring in your boss," Raz said.

Some people may be tempted to say nothing, but that can be dangerous, he added.

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to worry about what truth you've told," Raz said.