London, Oct 10 : A new study has revealed that almost six in ten women in the UK have had a secret affair with a colleague.

The survey, commissioned by More magazine, also showed that having a relationship with a coworker was not at all objectionable, with 89 per cent of women saying that the concept was "not frowned on at all.”

Even the once unthinkable idea of having a relationship with your boss was widely acceptable by the respondents, with nearly three-quarters of women ready to consider the prospect.

The study of 2,000 women suggests that the fairer sex is deserting bars, clubs, dinner parties and internet dating sites in order to face the ever-increasing hours in the office.

British men and women work the longest hours in Europe, according to the study, with only being second to the United States.

"Women spend so many hours at work now it's not surprising the boardroom is replacing the bedroom,” the Daily Mail quoted Lisa Smosarski, editor of More, as saying.

"Work is far more pressurised than it used to be and flirting has become a natural way to make the job more enjoyable. It's also much easier to get away with flirting behind your colleagues' backs thanks to email,” she added.

The figures revealed that 64 per cent of women flirt with male colleagues and eight out of ten have been attracted to someone they've worked with.

And men in positions of power are main targets, with 61 per cent saying they're attracted to those higher up than them.

The study also found that very few of those who have relationships with co-workers lose their jobs.

Overall, 70 per cent of the respondents believe "flirting makes the workplace more interesting" and three out of ten working women have gone the whole way and had sex at work.

The study also found that soccer manager Jose Mourinho - who recently parted company with Chelsea, is considered Britain's sexiest boss, with Simon Cowell coming second, followed by Sir Richard Branson and chefs Jean-Christophe Novelli and Marco Pierre White. (ANI)