Tales From the Front by Cheryl Lavin

David Letterman has admitted to having affairs with women who work for him.

Which makes me wonder ...

Are affairs between bosses and their employees ever truly consensual? Or does the fact that one has power over the other change the dynamics?

And who has the power? The boss who coerces the employee into having sex with promises of better assignments, promotions, and raises or threats of dismissal and demotion?

Or the employee who uses sex to get ahead and then stay ahead with threats of a sexual harassment suit?

And what about feminism? Aren't women free to have sex with whomever they want, including their boss?

And where do adults meet other adults if not at work?

Dulce: I have friends who started out as boss-employee. She was the boss; he was the employee. Once they started dating, he transferred to a different department so she was no longer his boss. It all worked out. They've been married for 18 years.

Ira: At-work fooling around is so common I just roll my eyes at it now. I know one woman who "earned" at least two promotions by having sex with her boss in his office.

Bill: As an honorable male, I believe there is never a place for anything other than the highest ethical and moral behavior.

Greta: I don't know where this idea came from that unmarried adults are supposed to be celibate. I thought we left that behind in the '60s.

Steve: In the academic world where I live, the presumption is that a relationship between a faculty member and a student (whether undergraduate, graduate or professional) enrolled in his or her course is never consensual and can be the basis for disciplinary action against that faculty member as extreme as dismissal.

Hayden: Letterman was single, uncommitted and free to engage in any activity he desired.

He's rich and famous, and exciting to be with. The women were intelligent, willing and able. Nothing illegal took place, we can assume, but the indulgence of desire.

Avery: Having been both a worker bee and middle manager, I can tell you that a large percentage of office affairs stem from the female side, whether the woman is the boss or the subordinate.

As long as the parties involved are single and the sex is consensual, it's a non-issue. Be warned, however, that when the affair ends — which it usually does — it can get pretty uncomfortable.

Jada: As long as the women Letterman had affairs with didn't feel coerced (some of them may still work for him), it's really nobody's business.

I'll bet anything they threw themselves at him. If I'd worked for him, I probably would have, too.

It will be interesting to hear their sides of the story, and I salute him for not trying to cover this up. By bringing it out in the open, he can forestall a lot of the whispering and innuendo. And, I hope they put the blackmailer in prison.

Marisa: Never have I had an affair with a boss or co-worker. But there have been surprisingly many bosses who have tried! At first, to my shock — and then, my disgust. The last was old, really ugly and stupid. If any of them would have insisted, I would have left.

What do you think about relationships between bosses and employees? Have you had one? How did it work out? Send your tale, along with your questions and problems to cheryllavin@aol.com. You can visit her blog at www.talesfromthefront.com. To find out more about Cheryl Lavin, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

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