Seven challenges for sexualities, intimacy, non-sexualities at work: What (and what not) to do

Workplaces are typically highly gendered – often dramatically so, in terms of organisational hierarchies of authority, divisions of labour, and many other features. Yet, at first sight, many organisations might appear to convey an air of gender-neutrality, even sexlessness, and may present, or might like to present, an image of themselves as sites of genderless and sexless professionalism. The office or the factory can seem at times dull passionless places. But … then again workplaces are not just deeply gendered, but are also places of sexuality, intimacy (and distance), and ambiguous mixes with non-sexuality – often also along with all kinds of antagonisms and violations. So, what is going on with sexuality, intimacy and what can be called non-sexualities at work?