Office Hookups Are on the Rise

man and woman making out between shelves of files

One unintended consequence of the recession: Your harmless flirtation with that hipster from payroll may soon heat up to a full boil. Experts predict a rise in office flings as pink-slip-wary employees work longer, more stressful hours—ideal conditions for on-the-job hookups.

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Turns out the downturn has spurred an increase in other corporate no-nos:

RUMORMONGERING: More than half the HR managers polled in a recent survey report an increase in office gossip about layoffs.

THEFT: More than a quarter of U.S. firms say they've experienced an increase in workplace theft, mostly of office supplies.

GOOFING OFF: 24 percent of companies report a recent increase in on-the-clock dawdling, like Web surfing and making personal copies on company Xerox machines. Sarah Z. Wexler