Stress is a growing epidemic in the workplace, but new research from Washington State University believes that a bit of flirtation in the workplace could be the answer.

It should be noted from the off that the researchers are at pains to point out the distinction between light-hearted flirtation and the sexual harassment that is often perpetrated by people in positions of power and authority.  Such encounters are certainly not a buffer for stress, and are in fact hugely stressful.

They do ponder whether the zero-tolerance policies initiated at organizations such as Netflix and NBC are going too far however, and whether they might be depriving employees of the benefits of flirtation.

“Some flirting is happening, and it seems pretty benign,” the researchers say. “Even when our study participants disliked the behavior, it still didn’t reach the threshold of sexual harassment. It didn’t produce higher levels of stress, so it is a very different conceptual space.”

Benign flirting

The researchers focused on what they refer to as ‘sexual storytelling’, which comprises of jokes and innuendo combined with flirtatious behavior, such as compliments on one’s physical appearance.

They conducted a number of surveys of workers in the United States, Canada and the Philippines, each involving hundreds of employees, and each conducted both before and after the #MeToo movement lifted the lid on sexual harassment at work.

The survey results revealed that many employees are fairly relaxed about sexual storytelling, and were actually quite positive towards flirtation at work.

“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,” the researchers say.

A stress buffer

For instance, in one of the surveys, the respondents were asked about their experiences both of flirting at work but also injustice at work, which would include their boss treating them unfairly.  These surveys also quizzed coworkers and spouses to gain insight into each participants stress levels.  Taken together, it revealed that flirting at work can help to alleviate stress and consequences such as insomnia, especially among workers who are experiencing injustice at work.

If workplaces enact excessively strict policies to reduce the risk of sexual harassment, it can inadvertently prevent this kind of stress buffering behavior from occurring.

Of course, the complications of the matter are not to be underestimated, and the survey respondents did indeed say that flirtation from supervisors was not appreciated, so it’s important that nuance is appreciated on the matter and a balance struck if possible.

“Zero-tolerance rules can add awkwardness into what are pretty naturally occurring behaviors within established friendships,” the researchers conclude. “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.”