A SERIES of high-profile harassment cases has sparked the first signs of “segregation” in the workplace as relationships between the sexes are disrupted by mutual suspicion.

Men are self-censoring innocent compliments and office banter when in mixed company, killing off office romance, according to a study by psychologists at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The academics have identified the emergence of a “glass partition” between the sexes that, they say, is also damaging the career prospects of women.

Kim Elsesser, co-author of Glass Partition: Obstacles to Cross-sex Friendships at Work, published in the academic journal Human Relations said: “The unintended consequence of sexual harassment awareness is that women suffer from men’s uncertainty on how to behave.

“While it is mostly the men who feel restricted in what they say, unfortunately the career implications affect the women because the men have the power and women have a hard time befriending men.

“Just as the glass ceiling prevents women from reaching the top of organisations, the glass partition prevents women from making the friendships that could help their careers.” She said rules intended to discourage romantic relationships were also making it harder to form work friendships.

Sexual harassment cases can trigger changes in the rest of the workforce. Phillip Randall, 32, is a middle manager at a small financial services company. He had been working there for six years when he was accused of sexual harassment by a female colleague. He insisted on using a pseudonym because the case is still being investigated.

He said that the office atmosphere had soured. “It’s affected the liveliness of the whole workplace. It used to be such an enjoyable environment.

“The other staff don’t go out for drinks as a group. There is an atmosphere of ‘who can I talk to?’ They send fewer e-mails around the office because they are scared someone will take offence.

“It makes things difficult because as a manager you’ve got to relate to your staff.”

The academic researchers found evidence of one of the most significant shift in attitudes since the influx of women into the workforce in the 1960s.

They found that 75% of male workers constantly considered the risks of being accused of sexual harassment when talking to female colleagues. Humour was considered one of the most risky areas.

Conversely, only 5% of women said they had to watch what they said around men but 66% noticed that men seemed inhibited. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 41 professionals.

Jane Mann, head of employment at Fox Williams, a City law firm, said sexual harassment legislation in the UK was creating similar patterns.

“People are much more wary of banter in the workplace and much more concerned about whether they are saying or doing the right thing.

“Often we have managers who say: ‘I will not interview a young woman on my own or travel on my own with someone’.”

Long working hours and the rise in the proportion of women in the workforce exacerbate the problem. Many companies have attempted to avoid conflicts by adopting “love contracts”, spelling out the rules

for romantic engagement. Some forbid relationships between managers and their staff.

Sadie Whitelocks, 19, who was employed with Esprit, a London catering firm, has experienced the pitfalls of office romances. “Earlier this year I was involved with someone I worked with and would never do it again.

When you break up it is so awkward, because you (still) have to see them every day. It’s awful.

“I am not surprised some companies stop their employees getting into relationships. It can stop their staff being productive and give people opportunities to say they’ve been sexually harassed when it goes wrong.”

Ani Blakeway, 53, a PA who lives in Lewisham, southeast London, said: “I would never get involved with someone in my office, it’s looking for trouble. These days, women can find a boyfriend in other places than work — they are more independent, they travel around the world, go out clubbing, there’s more opportunity.”

Additional reporting: Madeleine Brettingham, Claire Newell

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