“Ang ganda mo ngayon.”
“You look sexy in that dress.”
Flirtatious eye contacts, sexual banter and innuendos, or just plain jokes .
These casual flirting with colleagues at work are relatively harmless and may even help reduce one’s stress levels, according to a new research from the Washington State University (WSU).
The study showed that although such social sexual behavior in the workplace are considered flirtatious, these are behaviors that are not always driven by romantic interest.
In other words, harmless.
“Some flirting is happening, and it seems pretty benign,” Assistant Professor Leah Sheppard, the first author on the paper said in the official website of WSU.
The study was conducted in the United States, Canada and the Philippines. And of the five authors, two are Filipinos : Simon Lloyd Restubog and Karl Aquino.
The researchers found that most employees were somewhat neutral about story telling but felt more positively about flirtation.
“What we found is that when flirtation is enjoyed, it can offer some benefits: it makes people feel good about themselves, which can then protect them from stressors in their lives,” said Sheppard.
The authors draw clear distinctions between this type of interaction and sexual harassment — the persistent, unwelcome acts often perpetrated by those in positions of authority.
Being the target of harassment creates stress but being the recipient of flirtation, stress can relieve it.
This is the reason researchers say there needs to be a review on the zero-tolerance policies toward workplace such as five-second star limit reportedly in Netflix or the ban on sharing cab rides in the NBC, or guidelines for hugging coworker.
“Excessively strict policies meant to deter sexual harassment can inadvertently send the message that all forms of social sexual behavior, even potentially beneficial ones, must be monitored, controlled and punished,” Restubog said.
However, while employees enjoyed flirtation when it came from coworkers, it was less appreciated from supervisors.
Managers should look to find a balance, avoiding overly restrictive policies on social sexual behavior without promoting or engaging in it themselves, Sheppard said.
“Zero-tolerance rules can add awkwardness into what are pretty naturally occurring behaviors within established friendships,” said Sheppard. “At the same time, we’re not encouraging managers to facilitate this behavior. This is just something that probably organically happens. Managers also should be careful in engaging in flirtation themselves, especially with anyone at a lower level. As soon as there’s a power imbalance, you risk entering the domain of what might be perceived as sexual harassment.”
