When the book Sex At Work dropped on my desk, a colleague said: ''Great, I'd like some of that!'' It was a throwaway remark from a reasonably enlightened and

liberal-minded male, writes Francis Shennan.

In other circumstances, though, or said in another tone, and the comment could have had an edge which might have been taken wrongly or even have been intended to cause offensive. The book is, after all, sub-titled ''A Survival Guide'' and is published by The Industrial Society as a guide for employers and employees.

The activities, actual and alleged, of President Bill Clinton cause undisguised amusement, attracting labels in the media such as ''Zippergate''. The case of Lieutenant Colonel Keith Pople and his affair with Karen Pearce was dissected on comedy programmes such as The News Quiz.

It is easy when writing on this subject to sound like a killjoy, as if all jokes and gossip were sinful, but the key factor is awareness.

''You might laugh long and loud at a blue joke told by a comedian you find funny but take a priggish U-turn if the geek at the next desk uses the same kind of language,'' says James.

She has a simple rule of thumb: ''In business we have a behavioural yardstick to turn to whenever we are in doubt about the correctness of our sexual judgment: professionalism.

''There is no need to bring sex into the work environment: we each have a social life where things can be a lot less complicated. So the motto should be: if in doubt, leave it out.''