Professionalism, Work Ethics, Sexuality, Consent, and the Intersecting Lines.

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Shirokirie

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Where is the boundary in sex at the work place?

I know consent plays a big part in everything, but I'm wondering where ethics step in as regards this kind of scenario between a FMC CEO and a MMC employee.

Where I see this going in my head looks like this:

There is a clear exchange between gender roles and gender identification in that she's like a man, and he's quite female. That said, he tends to be very shy and timid around her, to the end that he's trying to entice her into him. Also, to that same end, he keeps making mistakes at work, to get her attention. It comes down to him violating one of the three major company rules: no tampering with prototypes (the other two are: respect your fellow workmates, and no sex or masturbation in the work place -- she runs a sexual novelty company).

So when he's sent to her, she explains what her business is about, and of course, being in her presence, he reveals his shy, feminine side. And then, just to see if she can squeeze an ounce of masculinity out of him, she subjects him financial discipline, but also makes him strip his pants off and start wanking in her presence, while using one of the male-oriented beta products. The thought being: No masculine man in his right mind would put up with that.

This one act is the door-opener for a number of work-place violations between the CEO and the employee. All of which are consensual.

But I'm asking because I get the feeling that somewhere in there, a ton of people won't be able to get over that this takes place in the work-world.

So how would I work with something like this? Or should I change the setting altogether? :(
 

Kerosene

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Where is the boundary in sex at the work place?

Touching... anything, hands, clothing, their stuff, the air they breathe... nowadays, anyway.


I don't think you have much of a problem with work ethics, as much as you have a problem with making the situation believable and have the characters act their roles respectably.

If you just have her say, "Strip and start wanking." And he just goes along with it, it's kinda unbelievable.

Methinks you need two set ups, for both characters.

Have the girl want to test products and force it upon someone else (don't refer to sex, just ambiguous).

Then have the guy need the job, or wishes to have it really badly--enough to do anything for it.

"Please, I'll do anything you ask of me."

"Anything? Hm..."

Get it? Gives her a reason to act that way, gives him a reason to be ordered to.
 

frimble3

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I'm one of those not getting over the workplace thing. For me, no matter how you dress it up as being 'consensual' or about gender roles and identification, it comes down to the boss abusing her power over an employee, who she apparently realises is not very assertive. How would it look if another employee, on actual business, were to come in while she's trying to humiliate this guy?
He should sue her, they should both be fired, etc. Then they can have all the kinky fun times they want, on their own time.
And, I can't see it being any different if the genders were switched. This is not appropriate office behaviour.
 

Shirokirie

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Have the girl want to test products and force it upon someone else (don't refer to sex, just ambiguous).

Then have the guy need the job, or wishes to have it really badly--enough to do anything for it.

"Please, I'll do anything you ask of me."

"Anything? Hm..."

Get it? Gives her a reason to act that way, gives him a reason to be ordered to.
That's exactly what I had in mind. Like I said the whole reason I'm asking is because I get this feeling that...

I'm one of those not getting over the workplace thing. For me, no matter how you dress it up [...] This is not appropriate office behaviour.
This is going to be a majority attitude that I'm up against, no matter how I do it.

... which is why I want to in the first place. Look, I know its not appropriate. I know that there are a ton of people who are going to see "Office + sex" and fly a big, fat, nope, because this kind of thing doesn't -- and isn't supposed to -- happen in the real world. I also know that there's going to be a minority who will entertain the idea, and for their sakes I want to know the best way of going about this.

I understand this is a very sensitive landmine of a thing on a number of fronts. But I want to take this risk. It's not just an office-taboo erotic thing. It's also a science fantasy piece set in a dystopian world. And I think that alone merits a great deal of un-believability.
 

Maryn

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It would have helped if we'd known this was not set in the real world off the top.

You can have things from sexual harassment to gender equality to social norms to balance of power in the workplace be completely different from how those are defined now. It will need to be clear from the first sentence that this is not the world we live in.

Once you've firmly set your reader in an unreal setting, you can then take liberties with actions and attitudes which are not acceptable in the real world.

Maryn, with a writerly approach
 

Shirokirie

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Thanks Maryn! I'd say I love you, but I know you have a husband, so. But yeah. :)
 

frimble3

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Agreeing with Maryn, that a 'science fantasy piece set in a dystopian world' is a whole 'nother thing. You can set your own standards, make your own rules. Heck, a generation or so ago, with a male boss and a female employee, this wouldn't have seemed so unlikely. Okay, the sex-toy factory, maybe, but using your position for sexual favours? That's why workplace rules and laws happened.
It's just in the here-and-now that it seems unrealistic.
 

Maryn

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And I, for one, have no doubt whatsoever that it still goes on. Mr. Maryn supervises other people and there have been a few instances when someone whose work was not up to par was suddenly all double-entendres and dressing with cleavage. I imagine if his response were in any way encouraging, it would progress to something actionable. Instead, he says it was just sad. "I don't need sex--I need her to do her damned job."

Maryn, who's had jobs where she was harassed and didn't even know it
 

DancingMaenid

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I agree with Maryn, and I agree that the unreal setting helps.

One thing to keep in mind is that while many people will probably see this scenario as unrealistic and coercive, the idea of an attractive boss seducing and dominating an employee is a common fantasy. I think there's a significant number of people who are attracted to scenarios like this one. The issue is, even for some people who enjoy that fantasy, suspension of disbelief can be stretched too thin, and if this were presented in a way that's supposed to seem "realistic," then a lot of people will be bothered by the real-world ethics of what this boss is doing.

But I think if this is a dystopian setting, and the story is supposed to be more fantasy-esque than realistic, there's a lot you can do with that.
 

Paris Love

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I think you can make it work if the employee was hired specifically for his desire to be her sub/slave. Perhaps he seeks out the job because of the powerful female boss, and it is his kink as well as hers that is being explored here.

The taboo aspect of the relationship in the realm of a workplace romance makes the interactions between the two even more emotionally heightened. Secrets are sexy!
 
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