Men and women are wary of hanging out together after work

Men and women are wary of hanging out togetzu sich after workMen and women are wary of hanging out together after workYour colleague of the opposite gender invites you to happy hour one-on-one after work- should you accept?Many Americans believe you should decline, according to a new poll by Morning Consult in partnership with the New York Times. Surveying 5,282 registered voters in May, the poll found that over 60% of men and women were okay with having work meetings alone with someone of the opposite gender.But outside of work,boundaries were drawn.Over half of women and 45% of men said it was inappropriate to have dinner alone with a person of the opposite gender unless they wereyour spouse. Lunch and car rides were more socially acceptable but dinner and drinks were big no-nos.60% ofwomen and 48% of men surveyed believed it wasinappropriate to have drinks with a man who isnt your partner.Not surprisingly, the more religious the respondent, the more likely he or she was to report that behauptung behaviors were inappropriate.Here is a surprise, however Younger women policed how they interacted with men more than older women did. The study didnt explain why, but it could be that younger women sense that their youth presents a danger that could be taken advantage of during off-hours drinking.What this poll shows in general, however, is that Americans are deeply anxious around how they present themselves and how their actions are perceived with people they work with.The men and women surveyed said they worried about the situation turning sexual, flirtatious, or into a case of sexual harassment. These fears are not unfounded studies have found that work spouses can become a very real threat to real spouses.Even if interactions are innocent, both men and women worried what other people wouldthink, so as a preventative measure they would remove themselves out of the equation. The men and women interviewed by the Times reported conducting meetings in groups or in ro oms with windows where other people could see.But not being able to socialize with colleagues of the opposite gender disproportionallyhurts women. If the ski trips, golf outings, and happy hour drinks are boys-only, women miss out on the key socialization opportunities that could advance their careers. Thats what Ellen Pao famously alleged against her employer Kleiner and Perkins, a venture capital firm, in her gender discrimination lawsuit. She said she and other women were not allowed to go to work tripswith men or meetings with important guests like Al Gore because women kill the buzz.But without that one-on-one face time, when it comes to promotions and projects, women wont come into the boss mind.