The thing is, there are three factors here: whether or not it’s consensual, whether or not it’s a job requirement, and whether or not money is exchanged.
Non-consensual sex (with or without pay or a job requirement) is rape and maybe harassment.
Consensual sex, not required to keep the job, no pay, is dating.
Consensual sex, not required to keep the job, with pay, is prostitution.
Consensual sex, required to keep the job, no pay, is harassment. Voluntary harassment?
Consensual sex, required to keep the job, with pay (the situation in the OP), is … what?
From a completely hypothetical viewpoint in an otherwise utopian-ish world, I don’t see it as a problem, per se. Consenting adults and all that. I see this as a specialized offshoot of sex work, and I don’t believe sex work is inherently bad.
On a more practical level, though, this would be problematic. High-end executive assistants are already a small-ish field, and I think there is something concerning about permitting a scenario in which being willing to literally prostitute oneself becomes a prerequisite for these jobs. And the fact that powerful executives are still predominantly male (and executive assistants predominantly female) makes it even more concerning.
It’s sex discrimination, unless the boss is willing to equally treat both male and female assistants. I think Art Buchwald wrote a column about that once.
I think all the stuff about the salary and medical benefits and organizing meetings is totally irrelevant. All that matters is the exchange of sexual intimacy for money is happening, and we call that prostitution. So the only questions we should be asking here are:
Including a quid pro quo (i.e., stating that sex is part of the job) during the hiring process is still sexual harassment under the law.
It’s going to bring in gender discrimination issues too, because presumably the boss will only consider members of the gender that s/he is attracted to for the position, regardless of their other qualifications.
So, it’s not legally OK ever, in the U.S.
My friend recently saw this happen at her workplace. Aside from the legal and financial ramifications if the new executive assistant or one of the passed-over, more qualified internal applicants sues, it has been very bad for workplace morale to see an unqualified (but gorgeous) woman get the job with abnormally high pay (pay is very codified in this organization and is public information) that is unachievable for other employees through honest work alone.
It’s either sexual harassment or prostitution or both.
You’re much better off hiring an independent whore or mistress out of your personal funds and forget about making your whore your assistant, or your assistant your whore. Keep the roles separate because your whore is always going to be too busy being your assistant to be a good whore, and your assistant is going to be too busy being your whore to be a good assistant. And what if your employee is a great whore but a lousy assistant, or great assistant but a lousy whore?
If you’re a rich insufferable douchebag, you can afford to hire the best. You don’t require your lawyer to detail your sports car, you don’t require your maid have an MBA. If you want a personal chef you hire the best chef you can afford, you don’t hire the best Olympic gold medal winner chef you can afford.
I’ll agree with the other that there is no way 15K is enough for that job, which there is no way it’s legal. At $100 per BJ that would only be 3 per week per year and who is paying for that kind of service if it’s not an every day thing. I’d guess that 25K would be a minimum and you would probably end up closer to 75K.
I wonder if you could make it legal by setting up a bonus program that way it’s pay for service but it’s an optional part of the job. Of course you’d have to be willing to hire either sex for the job but it might slide past the other things that make it illegal.
MR. LIPPMAN: I’m going to get right to the point. It has come to my attention that you and the cleaning woman have engaged in sexual intercourse on the desk in your office. Is that correct?
GEORGE: Who said that?
MR. LIPPMAN: She did.
GEORGE: Was that wrong? Should I have not done that? I tell you I gotta plead ignorance on this thing because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing was frowned upon, you know, 'cause I’ve worked in a lot of offices and I tell you people do that all the time.
Funny how this isn’t an issue if a boss and staff member begin dating. Sex still occurs but since no money is involved there is no problem. I guess the intent is what matters. Dating is different from prostitution.
It seems to me that the latter obviates the former. “Do me or lose your job” isn’t consensual regardless of the genders involved. If “C’mere, I want it.” plus “Not right now.” for whatever reason, trivial or critical = “You’re fired” then consent has gone out the window.
And the original premise seems exceedingly abusable: I let you tell me “No” three times last week. My potential clients here think you’re hot, so do them here and now and I’ll overlook your earlier insubordination. Otherwise, pack your desk and leave now.
–G!
Stop Using Sex
As a Weapon
…–Pat Benatar
…Sex as a Weapon
If I’m a shareholder, I’m pissed.
Anyway, to get to the functionally same setup without many of the problems that the OP is sure to bring with it, is to hire his girlfriend. So he has to get a girlfriend first - wouldn’t be the first time a sugar daddy found someone looking for one.
Based on the sexual harassment courses I have taken (required for my job) the boss has basically granted the young lady a job for life.
If he ever terminates her she screams sexual harassment and Ka-Ching goes the settlement. Big dollars, serious dollars.
I saw this happen last year general manager of a car dealership was sleeping with one of his department managers.
They had a fight. She went on disability for stress. She sued the parent corporation for several million dollars. General manager got fired.
The moral of the story is don’t bang your employees.
It’s not an issue? In most large offices, this has to be mandatorily reported to HR, is extremely frowned upon, and would likely lead to adjusted job roles to avoid conflict of interests.
Sleeping with a subordinate is considered extremely poor behavior. There’s a whole aphorism about this, re: “company ink.”