The traditional
stereotype of the British office worker as cold, emotionless and dull has been
challenged by a survey, showing us to be every bit as amorous as our Italian
and French counterparts.
Nine out of 10 women and
75 per cent of men questioned admit they flirt with their colleagues.
"We are closer to
our Southern European partners than we might think, as similar research in
Italy revealed broadly similar results to our own," said Elena Neville of
OfficeSMART which conducted the research.
Slightly over half of
the women surveyed only flirt with those they find genuinely attractive, but 38
per cent of men flirt with anyone of the opposite sex as a matter of course.
Most women talk about
flirting in terms of smiles and flattery but 38 per cent of men see flirting as
making physical contact when it’s not strictly necessary.
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The majority of both
sexes freely admit to flirting throughout the working day, rather than in their
own time or at events like the Christmas party.
