I'm looking for a phrase to describe a certain relationship similar to "friend zone". The relationship is where you can't treat a person one way because you are so connected it might cause problems in another area of life.
An example would be. I can't date Jane since we work together. She is in my ----- zone.
She is in my conflict zone. This is related to the concept conflict of interest.
a conflict between the private interests and the official responsibilities of a person in a position of trust [Merriam-Webster]
A better word choice than zone would be circle where the definition includes
a group of people who are connected by family, work, or society, or who share an interest (Cambridge Dictionaries Online)
The you can express your point in a more recognizable way:
I can't date Jane since we work together. She is in my circle of coworkers (or business associates).
Circle of friends is a common expression.
If you use Google+, you know how they have adapted this circle expression for you to organizes however many group relationships you might have.
How about just work?
It's common to talk of work-life separation. Life (short for lifestyle including friends, family, health, pleasure, leisure) and work (career and ambition) can have their own zones.
