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Find a colleague attractive? About nine out of ten workers feel the same way.
That's according to a study by sociology professor Dr. Janet Lever. She conducted the "Office Sex and Romance Survey" for Elle magazine in January 2002 and found that workplace attractions are not only common but some believe being found attractive can even help a career.
The Study
First, the stats. In Lever's study, some 92 percent of the more than 31,000 men and women asked admitted to finding a coworker attractive and flirting. A whopping 62 percent said they had at least one office affair, nearly half of them while married or in a committed relationship with someone else.
Not shocked enough? Wait, it gets more salacious. Some 42 percent of respondents admitted to having sex on the job, and 16 percent reported the act took place in the boss's office. What's more, seven percent got caught in the act.
Professional Careers Remain In Tact
For most, office attractions had no perceived negative impact on their careers, even though 9 percent said their affairs led to divorce or separation. And for 87 percent of those who engaged in office sex, there were apparently no career consequences. But perhaps more tellingly, Lever also found that 34 percent of women say they play up their sexuality at work, while a quarter of women say their careers were enhanced because a supervisor found them attractive.
"Our results shed light on an old taboo -- office affairs are becoming the norm rather than the exception," says Alexandra Postman, Elle's senior features editor. Sixty percent of respondents evidently agreed, stating they felt an employer should have no role in outlawing office romances or setting guidelines for whom their employees should date.
