{"_id":"668da08b0b76658b4c233a17","title":"Is it permissible to speak to a co-worker of the oppposite gender, only for work purposes?","question":"At an old job I was required to text employees directly to hash out schedules that would match up with our clients. There was no issue until a male Muslim employee refused to speak to me directly and instead went through my boss (who had given me the task because she didn’t have time to do so herself). He told me it’s not allowed/inappropriate for me to ask him directly for details of his schedule, and I was confused since this had a genuine work-related purpose (I don’t text men recreationally). I’m not sure if he was right or not - is it permissible to speak one on one with a coworker of the opposite gender if it’s only for work purposes and remains professional and short/to the point?","answer":"Yes, it is permissible. You mentioned in your question that he ended up speaking with your boss directly, who is also a female. I'm confused. Is he under the impression that it's not ok when the female is Muslim but ok when not?","tags":[{"_id":"668d9ff00b76658b4c2329a9","tag":"Contemporary Life: Jobs and Career","count":120},{"_id":"668d9ff10b76658b4c2329d2","tag":"Relationships: Opposite Gender","count":80}],"createdOn":"2024-07-09T20:41:47.959Z"}