Fornication in the Workplace
I rememeber an episode from Ally McBeal when Courtney Throne Smith’s character Georgia Thomas decided to sue the Cage & Fish law firm for destroying her marriage on the account of having a sexually charged work environment.
As I related this situation to a normal day of work I realized that this could be true of any workplace… Statistics show that 40% of married employees will have affairs with their co-workers while 60% of all employees would have had sex with one or more of their co-workers. Apart from these obvious facts, who doesn’t work in an office where people make at least one sexually driven remark every single day?
You see it in the movies and you have a general idea of what sex in the workplace is all about, but to actually have witnessed it is quite another story… Two occassions that I know of for sure are where the CEO of a certain company got caught doing someone on the lunch table and when one executive was caught blowing the other behind a photocopy machine! Poor office furniture.
But why are workplaces so full of sexual tension? Is it the stress of work or something else? Sometimes it’s just a pat on the butt or a harmless kiss on the cheek but still, it does lead to so much more and undoubtedly it happens with everyone.
Worse yet, the aftermath of having a physical relationship with someone you work with can prove to be fatal in terms of how it might affect your work somewhere down the line. I guess the argument here is that if you can separate your personal life from your professional life then it doesn’t really matter… I’m sure we’d all like to believe we can do that right?
But on the whole I find the subject very interesting and it is a rather wide and open subject so if anyone wants to shed more light on it… we’re dying to read it.
B.
N said,
March 2, 2007 at 10:35 pm
Well once you leave college really the only place you meet womenfolk (outside of clubs) is the workplace, especially in the West…and one spends the majority of their time at work as well….so its kind of unavoidable. Dating in the workplace is pretty much accepted, doing a married chick not so much…and umm actually getting it on in the workplace…sounds fun…but there were cameras where I used to work at…so that would have sucked…
javajones said,
March 2, 2007 at 10:46 pm
What would have sucked and what?
N said,
March 3, 2007 at 2:40 am
getting caught on security camera boning someone…would not go down well…especially with one of the world’s biggest corporations…so unfortunately noone sucked anything…
sach said,
March 4, 2007 at 7:54 am
“But why are workplaces so full of sexual tension? Is it the stress of work or something else?”
I suppose there isn’t one exact reason you can point to and say THIS is why there’s sexual tension in the workplace. For most of us, the workplace is where we spend the better part of our day, week and month. In most cases you spend more time with your co-workers than your family, friends or partner. Then what you usually look for in your loved ones, you start looking for in your workplace. Add to this late nights and killer deadlines. I find it the most natural thing for sexual tension to follow, especially with the thrill of reaching a deadline or completing a project. It is up to each individual to decide whether they act on the sexual tension or not. Another reason I see is how sometimes most people in your life don’t understand the nature of your work or the reasons why you have to spend all your time in the office to get the work done, and then there is your coworker who just knows and understands.
And even this is just one aspect of it. The whole boss and secretary scenario, I still haven’t figured that one out properly. Hehe.
brandix said,
March 5, 2007 at 8:58 am
the best explanation i’ve heard so far and i do agree with you.
Sophist said,
March 5, 2007 at 11:07 am
I work in an office full of really hot women. But there is no sexual tension whatsoever. I’m very upset.
Mr. Evil said,
March 5, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Hmmmm.. My office is not the place to be doing any of this. Since everyone’s bout 30 yrs older than me. BUT busy office blocks are a nice place to be in
But simply I guess.. it is Sex as a basic need, The power of seduction, the hornyness of the humankind, The heart thumping brought about by the environment and simple attraction… all put together that makes brings about this phenomenon 
Atleast that’s a thought…
Amrik said,
March 6, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Its strange, but doesn’t anyone notice that the people who do have affairs in office always decide to point out the mistakes of others and try to make themselves look like immaculate conceptions in doing so ????
Personally i don’t have a problem with sex at work until the people concerned try to be too smart and point fingers in the wrong direction..
This happened to me not too long ago, and boy did they get a very nasty surprise, all in all it made me realize that you always have to watch your back..
Mayanthi said,
February 5, 2009 at 12:49 am
I agree with Sach.. When your significant other (at home or otherwise) doesn’t understand the nature of your job and the crazy hours you have to put in, then the empathy of a co-worker pretty much becomes fatal attraction. Then again it all stems down to a physical need and how well you handle it. As for work place relationships, I see nothing wrong with it as long as you master the fine art of Personal life Vs Professional life and not mix business with pleasure. Easier said than done though!
Corporate culture in SL is as screwed up as it gets, Women are subjected to sexual harassment more often than not, intentionally as well as otherwise. It’s gotten to a point where fashion and lifestyle choices are no more a statement or an expression of ones individuality,but a platform for testosterone driven men to vent their angst! No offence to any of u guys here. Purely an observation.
Black Rose said,
March 24, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I agree with Sach too… and I can’t stop laughing at Sophist’s comment.
XoX
jack said,
June 20, 2009 at 12:25 pm
i want some picture