'Sex spices up life in the office'

THE OFFICE is today revealed as a hotbed of passion as more than 60% of people questioned in the largest ever survey of sex in the workplace admit they have had a fling with a colleague.

Nearly one in 10 of those who confess to affairs say they have had four lovers or more, and 16% say they have had sex in the boss's office. Nearly half of all the men - but only a third of women - could not wait until they were out of the door.

One in five of them had sex with a colleague during working hours, the study of more than 30,000 office staff reveals. 'I managed to have sex in every bathroom in the building as well as in the lobby during business hours,' one 30-year-old man said. 'I think the women in my office were intrigued by my bad-boy reputation.''

Exactly a half had sex on a desk, according to the survey by the US edition of Elle Magazine and the internet news site MSNBC.com. A chair was next most popular. Conference rooms, the floor and the car park were also popular.

'Promiscuous sex in the workplace is the most exciting activity I've ever engaged in,' a 36-year-old man admitted. 'It can be a powerful morale booster.'' A 51-year-old woman who had two office affairs explained: 'I find the clandestine, forbidden nature exciting and a way to spice up my work week.'

Two out of three believe 'almost everyone flirts at the office' with more than a third of men and a fifth of women admitting to playing up their sexuality.

Women who are promoted quickly are believed by four out of 10 colleagues to have slept their way to the top. About half of women and 20% of men who had workplace flings admit to having an affair with a more senior member of staff. Nearly a third of those women have had a relationship with their boss, with one admitting that she had performed oral sex on her boss to get promotion.

A chief executive boasted of 'several extra-marital affairs at work' but said he 'never had any repercussions'. But while half of office romances last for more than a year, others go badly wrong.

More than 10% of workers who have indulged in a fling say they left their jobs after the break-up, and 9% admit their fling ended in separation or divorce. But only 3% were fired. And while the vast majority tried to conceal their passion, about 7% were caught in the act. The worst consequence? Embarrassment.