# Caught having sex at work... so bad? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 22, 2004, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493 "2004-02-22T09:04:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/41 "2004-02-25T22:24:02Z")
No big deal, really. Just harmless fun. Wait, was it my desk? That’s it, you’re f\*cking _fired!_ ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/42 "2004-02-26T00:24:26Z")
> [@DaddyTimesTwo](#): > > The story where I work is a couple folks got canned years ago for getting busy in a conference room. > > Apparently it was an expensive table. (ahem, sorry) > > **Omnipresent** , you sound like a really stand-up kind of person. Nothing like a little bribery/extortion what have to round out the story…were you kidding? 😕 Just kidding - I guess. But, is it really any of the security guards business? No one’s stealing anything. No one’s breaking and entering. Harmless action between to adults. Why is it ok to take a nasty dump at work but, sex is verbotten? ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/43 "2004-02-26T01:36:23Z")
One of my supervisors at a hotel/casino got caught by security on her knees with her dealer boyfriend on the roof of one of the hotel towers. They were caught because as soon as they opened the door onto the rooftop it tripped a silent security alarm. Whenever someone brought it up she would laugh and say it wasnt true. Right 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/44 "2004-02-26T01:54:43Z")
> [@Omnipresent](#): > > Why is it ok to take a nasty dump at work but, sex is verbotten? Well, for one thing not having sex wont kill you. Not being able to eliminate bodily waste will. ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/45 "2004-02-26T05:34:53Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > Well, for one thing not having sex wont kill you. Not being able to eliminate bodily waste will. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BLUE BALLS!!! C’MON!!! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/46 "2004-02-26T13:44:46Z")
I mean, we had a president who received BJs in the Oval Office! This guy (Clinton) was so unfazed that he lied about it. So, it is every American’s right to have sex wherever he wants it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/47 "2004-02-26T14:00:17Z")
> [@Rashak Mani](#): > > If the “no sex” rule isn’t written down somewhere is firing the couple justifiable legally ? I think some things have to be assumed. Like no drinking at lunch, no smoking in the boys room, no porn surfing, no sex during work hours…etc. It would probably fall under some clause regarding inappropriate work habits, lack of production, ineffective use of time or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/48 "2004-03-03T17:37:52Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > I think some things have to be assumed. Like no drinking at lunch, no smoking in the boys room, no porn surfing, no sex during work hours…etc. > > It would probably fall under some clause regarding inappropriate work habits, lack of production, ineffective use of time or something like that. ``` Clearly they must give a nice name to the reason for firing... probably ineffective use of time. (Which is contradictory... I think its great use of time. hehe) They won't be fired for the sex itself... ``` ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/49 "2004-03-03T17:58:10Z")
> [@Omnipresent](#): > > No one’s breaking and entering. Are you sure about that? ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/50 "2004-03-03T18:02:48Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > I think some things have to be assumed. Like no drinking at lunch, no smoking in the boys room, no porn surfing, no sex during work hours…etc. Places where I’ve worked these things have been expressly prohibited (eg being intoxicated while at work, ‘no smoking’ bylaws, use of technology rules etc). I could see ‘Tresspassing,’ a catch-all that you can arrest someone for if they’re doing something they shouldn’t, on private property. But that’s a criminal offense, not a violation of work rules. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/51 "2004-03-03T18:26:04Z")
Harmless, my ass. It may seem like harmless fun if nobody else is around… until there is someone else around, and that person files a $10,000,000 lawsuit for sexual harassment, claiming that her coworkers humping created an “oppressive work environment” or some such thing. Don’t laugh, it happens. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493/52 "2004-03-03T19:12:45Z")
Possibly, but a single instance generally isn’t going to rise to the level of a hostile work environment. They’d have to show the the employer actually knew or should have known about the conduct, it was an ongoing problem, and they failed to take remedial steps to correct the situation. If it was an ongoing problem and had interfered with a co-worker’s job performance in the past I could see it, but I don’t know of a case where someone successfully claimed a hostile work environment because two co-worker’s were caught boinking in the office at one in the morning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caught-having-sex-at-work-so-bad/230493.md?page=2)