NEW YORK (Reuters) - Personal relationships are still a highly contentious issue at U.S. companies where gender discrimination charges spiked in 2004, according to a survey on Tuesday.

Of the companies sued in 2004, 58 percent said gender discrimination was the most frequent charge, an increase of 10 percent from 2003, the survey of 234 corporate attorneys said.

Sexual harassment complaints also rose, with 63 percent of the survey respondents saying they handled a sexual harassment complaint which could range from unwelcome advances to creating an unfair workplace.

The survey, carried out by the workplace law firm Jackson Lewis LLP, found that companies are increasingly taking steps to protect themselves from costly legal battles, often associated with these charges. The number of companies with co-worker dating policies increased by 7 percent from 2003.

Race discrimination lawsuits slowed in 2004, however, with 49 percent of companies sued saying race discrimination was the most frequent charge, down from 54 percent in 2003.

Of the companies polled, 55 percent had adopted diversity programs, a sharp increase from 33 percent in 2000.

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