Why flirt at work

And to be sure, Sheppard said, the researchers are not encouraging people to go out and target coworkers with flirtation because of this study. Rather, the forms of enjoyed flirtation discussed in the study might resonate with folks who see such behavior naturally emerging in their social circles at work, Sheppard said — likely among coworkers who already have some sort of existing, and positive, relationship. The authors wrote that it was encouraging that companies today were taking sexual harassment seriously and disciplining offenders.

Some employers have revamped their dating policies in light of the MeToo movement. Brantner sees anti-flirting policies as an extension of zero-tolerance policies on workplace dating, which she said can drive relationships underground and hand someone seeking to harm another person a weapon to do so, should the relationship end badly.

Or that flirty co-worker might be you. There might be that one person at work whose smile makes you regret your current relationship and you tend to ply them with copious amounts of compliments just for practice.

So, this is all just harmless workplace flirtation. Well, we caught up with relationship strategist and professional coach Steve Harper to get his thoughts about workplace flirting.

What may start as fun and playful flirting could eventually be construed as harassment at some point. Well, a new study published in December suggests that flirting at work can have some strangely beneficial effects.

They asked them about flirting. They also made a clear distinction between what they thought was harassment and what was considered non-harassing social sexual behavior. That seems like quite a bit of a reach considering that for this statement to be true, the flirtation must be enjoyed. The correlation is precariously thin.

Also, there are many other ways to boost self-esteem at work. Flirting would seem like a very obtuse way to go about it. The authors of the recent study on workplace flirting had two basic categories for flirting.

Mutual Funds. Worth X. Science And Future. Human Interest. Social Relevance. Healthy Living. Shutterstock But according to new research by the Washington State University that was released just last month, these policies could be misguided. Make a joke. Be appropriate. Never act on it. Lovepanky 5. Watch their response. Flirtatious behavior is common at the workplace no matter how many policies are emphasized in employee handbooks. Between 40 and 47 percent of employees surveyed in a Psychology Today report said they had been involved in a workplace romance, and 20 percent said they were receptive to an office romance, which implies some flirting might be going on.

We really suggest being open to the people around you, whether you're waiting in a line or wherever, having your head up from the phone and taking advantage of that. Just keep it natural. McDonald says workplace relationships can be successful because many stem from friendship and mutual respect.

So how do you know if "Bob" wants to get outside of the friend zone? If you are doing the flirting, Noman says to pay attention to the other person's reaction.

Both matchmakers say flirting doesn't only involve verbal communication, but also body language.