It’s taboo because in practice, such relationships aren’t actually consenting, in the “no strings attached” sense. Keep in mind the potential problem isn’t jus

It’s taboo because in practice, such relationships aren’t actually consenting, in the “no strings attached” sense. Keep in mind the potential problem isn’t just between the supervisor and the subordinate, but with the supervisor and their entire department. Because it’s natural to suspect the supervisor’s lover of getting preferential treatment in terms of pay/benefits/promotions. This suspicion tends to cause an unhealthy work environment.