What would be the reaction in your workplace?

In my workplace, sexual activity of any kind would lead to immediate dismissal as a gross violation of staff conduct code.

It was quite common in my last proper workplace.
The union man with a senior staff member.
A married dad with someone half his age.
All protected and protecting eachother, and up to all kinds of fiddles.
This was a charity, by the way.

A lot of doctors and nurses went on back in the day.

To be fair to Simon Hart, that remark was an answer to a question but was not the main point of what he said.

Asked whether he hoped the issue would get swept under the rug, Mr Hart said: “Absolutely not.
The Cabinet minister told Sky News: “This makes me very sad, it makes me sad for everybody who’s been involved in these things. It’s clearly something which has gone terribly wrong.

nation.cymru/news/welsh-secretary-says-case-of-drunken-deputy-chief-whip-will-absolutely-not-be-swept-under-the-rug/

Certainly happened in one of my workplaces. I worked a night shift and quite a few clandestine meetings went on.

I'm assuming those with experience of workplace relationships are talking about consensual sex, not groping people when drunk, rape or sexually assaulting a minor.

If you mean just workplace sex, Hancock and Johnson should have been included.

I worked for a large IT company and a local authority, all sorts went on at both organisations, not just the men either, it takes two to tango. I wasn’t aware of anyone being disciplined formally.

Affairs certainly went on in places I've worked. They were usually quite discreet though.

When a couple were caught, in a bank I worked in, the woman got transferred to another branch, but I imagine was about financial security.

I've never known anyone getting down to it, in an unlocked office.

Or groping, getting drunk in the workplace, and trying non-consensual sexual activities.?

The OP isn’t referring to workplace affairs, or consensual sexual activity.
The incidents she details include sexual assault on a minor, watching porn in the workplace, drunken sexual groping of men, alleged sexual assault of women when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and rape.
Any one accused of that behaviour in my workplace would have been suspended. We worked with vulnerable people, just like these MP’s do.
I’m amazed so many here responded by talking about workplace affairs. There’s no comparison

Regrettably, sexual misconduct occurs regularly in the education workplace, (schools and offices) and certainly the accessing of porn. The latter accusations of misconduct under the influence of drugs and alcohol appear to have taken place away from places of work and there are instances of this occurring in any body of workers whatever their job.

Yes, totally different comparing those behaviours with consensual sex.
The problem is, I can't remember all the scandals, as there are so many, so would need to look them all up in order to comment.
I mostly went on the "Blojo" incident.

Iam64

The OP isn’t referring to workplace affairs, or consensual sexual activity.
The incidents she details include sexual assault on a minor, watching porn in the workplace, drunken sexual groping of men, alleged sexual assault of women when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and rape.
Any one accused of that behaviour in my workplace would have been suspended. We worked with vulnerable people, just like these MP’s do.
I’m amazed so many here responded by talking about workplace affairs. There’s no comparison

That was the point I was trying to make, but I was in a rush (and not quite woken up).

MissAdventure

Yes, totally different comparing those behaviours with consensual sex.
The problem is, I can't remember all the scandals, as there are so many, so would need to look them all up in order to comment.
I mostly went on the "Blojo" incident.

I worked in a number of schools (and some other workplaces). I certainly knew about affairs, but I don't know of any incidents when people were "intimate" in the workplace. I know of one teacher who worked in a school where I once worked and was convicted of grooming online. He was suspended immediately, sacked, sentenced and barred for life from teaching.

I also know of another school employee who was accused of looking at porn on a school laptop. He was tried and found not guilty, but sacked anyway.

Where I worked involved "sleeping in" shifts.
One on duty, one sleeping in.
.I can't speak for schools, only for what was common knowledge in my workplace.

Given that I must have known thousands of teachers and other colleagues over the years, the total is nowhere near the percent of politicians who have been involved in sleaze.

Iam64

The OP isn’t referring to workplace affairs, or consensual sexual activity.
The incidents she details include sexual assault on a minor, watching porn in the workplace, drunken sexual groping of men, alleged sexual assault of women when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and rape.
Any one accused of that behaviour in my workplace would have been suspended. We worked with vulnerable people, just like these MP’s do.
I’m amazed so many here responded by talking about workplace affairs. There’s no comparison

Yes, quite different to an affair at work by two consenting adults, sleazy though that may be, especially if it's at work (in the stationery cupboard.)

Is anyone happy to have someone representing them who has carried out some of these criminal activities?

eazybee

Regrettably, sexual misconduct occurs regularly in the education workplace, (schools and offices) and certainly the accessing of porn. The latter accusations of misconduct under the influence of drugs and alcohol appear to have taken place away from places of work and there are instances of this occurring in any body of workers whatever their job.

It's often claimed that schools attract people who are interested in sex with children for obvious reasons. Where else has such a number of children? Nevertheless, I honestly don't think it happens "regularly" and the number involved is minute. I expect a number of teachers sometimes drink too much and some take drugs, but I was never aware of any incidents arising from alcohol or drug taking.

Are we saying it goes on everywhere so is ok in Parliament?
Sexual assault is against the law.

Affairs are totally different, unless coercion taking place.

In the 1960's/70's, men in power sometimes used to get a little "over familiar" with junior female staff.

Nothing serious though, and usually swiftly dealt with, without fuss.

No serious sexual assaults, in my experience.

If “over familiar” includes unwanted groping it is a sexual assault. Thank goodness this is now called out for what it is.

Whilst I agree that sexual assault should be called out, what I don't understand is why people don't at the time.

Well, I understand that some of the time – in serious cases of assault – but I've just read an article about one of these Tory Party issues, the one where one of the accused allegedly put his hand on another man's knee and, allegedly, said he'd "go far".

Why didn't the younger man say: "Remove your hand from my knee" loud enough for one or two others to hear? I realise that some of you will tell me why but I'll still wonder why people don't get training in this assertiveness. It's a very useful social skill and would stop quite a lot of unwanted behaviour because the instigators of such behaviour would fear exposure and, hopefully therefore, desist.

Obviously a love affair between two people who work together is very different from sexual assaults in the workplace.