Romance at Work | Workplace Dating (Pros & Cons)

The long working hours and the work pressures have give rise to more incidents of work place relationships. Recent studies have shown that more professionals are being romantically involved with their colleagues these days.

As in any other relation, there are some pros and cons for office romance as well.

Advantages of Work Place Romance

Some of the benefits of office romance include saving a lot of time and money in meeting each other. Such couples are likely to share a deeper emotional bonding and better understanding as they are in same shoes. They can enjoy the charm of impromptu dates even during busy schedules instead of having to wait till the end of the day for them to meet their lover. You get to see the true self of your partner unlike a date involving an outsider who will portray only their best behavior

However, there are many disadvantages for work place romance as well.

Down Sides of Work Place Romance

There are some downsides for work place romance, which you can steer clear with the help of a few useful tips.

• Never take an impulsive decision. If you are interested in a person at your office, make sure to analyze all aspects of the relationship before committing anything. Since you meet everyday, it will be easy to understand the person well before making a decision.
• A cautious approach will pay off. In case you are new at a job, you should be wary of anyone who is trying to fish out your personal life details. This could also mean that they have seen you as a stumbling block in their career path and might be trying to play foul with you. Take your own time in analyzing the person before taking any decision.
• You can measure how trustworthy is your friend by indulging in simple trust tests
• Make sure that your work place romance is not putting your career at stake. Revealing personal secrets to make friends won’t be a good choice in any case.

However, there are different schools of thought on this issue of workplace romance. Some feel that blending work and pleasure will not be good for both as it's always better to have some space between the couple.

In the event of a break up, it could have a disastrous effect on their image and career prospects as well. In such couples jealousy could also be a problem. When any girl sees her boyfriend mingling with others, she might react badly.

Recommended Reading

Office Romance: Love, Power, and Sex in the Workplace by Lisa A. Mainiero

Explore the best of both the worlds of spicy gossip and practical advice in this book where business school professor Mainiero delves deep into the prospects and effects of office love affairs on corporate policy. In her survey of over 100 executive women about their experience or opinions of office romance, she found that the corporate context is affected by office love affairs.

Recollecting incidents of power struggles, disasters and heartbreaks, she also touches upon the advantages that these relationships had on careers and romances leading to happy marriages. Factors like the marital status of the participants and their respective positions on the corporate ladder also had an influence on the outcome. Except in special cases like conservative office set ups or in the suspected cases of adultery, the advantages of work place romances outweigh the risks, according to her. Going by the trend, it is certain that the work places romances are here to stay! More Details..

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