The vast majority of extra marital affairs that include an emotional involvement take place between coworkers.

People spend many waking hours in their jobs, with company they didn't choose and doing things they may not quite like. In fact they spend more hours at that than they do at home, with the love of their lives and their kids.

When people share not only time, but also goals, projects, tasks and the whole work environment with others, it's only natural that they develop some kind of feeling towards their coworkers. It may be a marked dislike or a preference, sympathy or even an understanding that may or may not go beyond the work area. In fact, people can make mortal enemies or lifelong friends at work.

Of course, people can also feel physical attraction for someone who works at the same company. When this attraction converges with mutual understanding and a shared task, goal or project, we'll have the essential elements that usually trigger an affair.

The cheating spouse may feel that he has more in common with his coworker than with his wife. He'll certainly share with her the work world, so alien to his wife, who may not appreciate an anecdote or episode in the same way.

A couple made of coworkers also shares the stress associated with work, its history of success and failures translated into a common work destiny. This sharing may develop into a bond, where the wife is an outsider and will always remain so.

Some men show different sides of their personality at home and at work. Some of them divide their worlds so utterly, they lead two separate lives altogether, with different women in each sphere.

Others become so emotionally involved, that they end up leaving their wives and clearing up the truth. More often than not, however, these extra marital affairs will burn themselves out and the unsuspecting spouse will never find out.

For those who feel tempted at work, the best thing to do would be to self establish strict boundaries that limit the topics of conversation to those related to work, the amount of time spend with the other person, any trip or other social gathering that may give you the opportunity to spend time alone with her/him. But the best way to stay out of trouble is to keep a healthy relationship at home, placing the spouse's interests and feelings on top of your priorities and seeking new ways to satisfy his/her emotional needs.