Sex in the Office
By Peggy Vaughan
What about the woman who has an affair with her boss?
This is the most volatile situation of all—but one that is still very prevalent. Women are generally the ones who are penalized when an affair becomes a problem, and this is especially true when the man is her boss. When the affair with her boss ends, her job is likely to end as well.
Even though the risks of an affair with the boss are higher, there are other complicating factors that cause a woman to lose sight of the risks. She is likely to have a great deal of admiration for his ability and success and come to value him not only as a boss, but also as a friend and mentor.
In addition, the boss often has a lot of control over a woman's future in terms of her economic well-being and her opportunities for advancement. This is not to say that women are trying to "sleep their way to the top." Most ambitious women today recognize that this is clearly not the best path to success. But their boss may play such an important part in their lives that they have difficulty separating their professional relationship from their personal feelings.