The perils of flirting at work

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Is flirting a good way to get ahead in the office? Jezebel investigates.

In Girls on Top: Your Guide to Turning Dating Rules into Career Success, Nicole Williams says "Using flirtation is just smart. If you need someone's help, use the tools available to you. It's naive to think it has no place at work."

But Anna North counters: "sexualizing your work behavior seems like a great way to create a confusing environment — and even one hostile to coworkers who don't want to flirt."

There may not be much choice in the matter for women in their 20s and 30s, however. "If you're an attractive female and smile at a male colleague you are automatically assumed to be making a pass at them or alluding to the same", says Secrets of Professional Flirting.

So, "if you're young enough" you're damned either way as "dudes already assume you're doing it."