The perks and pitfalls of workplace flirting

Admit it, you've done it too.

Nice gorgeous guy catches your eye at work. He smiles at you, you smile back. The next time you see him, the two of you start talking. Sparks fly. Or it can start off innocently enough. The two of you work together on a project...then the next...and the next.

You talk to him about the weather, the coffee - anything to keep him talking. You laugh at his jokes. You playfully tease him when he's around. You compliment him on his shirt, his pen, whatever is on hand. You nod your head and tilt your head to the side while talking to him. You twirl your hair then top it off with the hair toss. You look him in the eyes for the briefest moment, and then look away with a hint of a smile forming in your lips. Finally, as they say in the movie WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, the leaning - leaning towards the person you're flirting with, of course. You whisper things that seem to be secrets just so you get him up close.

Sound familiar?

I know you're a worker bee and hardly have time to date. You put in many hours. You're at the beck and call of your supervisors. With most of your waking hours spent at work, flirting at work is your best bet for a social life. No wonder many people look for a possible partner in the workplace. As I write this, it's hard to write about workplace flirting without getting into office romances, but that's another topic for another time.

Admittedly, work becomes fun when you have someone to joke and banter with.

Perks:
1. Flirting discreetly gets the job done.
2. It builds your confidence when doing your work.
3. Flirting keeps you motivated to look your best.
4. Other people interpret your flirtation as being friendly, a plus factor.
5. People enjoy being around you and even working with you, especially if you're the type of flirt who makes others feel good about themselves.

Now if you're working in a humdrum, yawn-inducing work environment that needs some shaking up, flirting might be a simple solution. Think twice.

Pitfalls:
1. You flirt with one person too many, you end up lowering the integrity bar for the rest of the sisterhood.
2. You will get talked about and stabbed behind your back. Don't act like you didn't see it coming.
3. Overflirting may backfire. Unwanted guys may fall for it and think you're an easy lay.
4. You might not get that promotion or raise.
5. When you overuse your charm, people forget about your actual work skills and abilities.

Don't forget:
1. When work becomes fun because of the flirting, you better make sure the flirter and the flirtee are getting the job done.
2. Keep in mind sexual harassment laws. What may seem flirtation to you may be misinterpreted as sexual harassment by another.
3. Make sure the flirting is reciprocated at least.