With work schedules demanding more time out of our days and women taking on bigger roles in the corporate arena, dating a coworker is not unusual. In fact, office romances have a pretty high rate of success (3 out of 10 resulting in marriage according to this CareerBuilder survey). But is it something that could potentially ruin your work environment? There are definitely risks involved in dating someone you work with. Here are some things to consider before taking your work relationship to a personal level.
Thinking about dating a coworker? Here’s what you should know.
Consider the size of the workplace: If you’re working in close quarters and the relationship fails, having to see your ex every day could be detrimental to your work. If you’re in a small company or an enclosed area, you might want to think about dating someone outside of your immediate space.
Know the rules: Many workplaces are now becoming more flexible about allowing colleagues to become involved romantically. Some even feel that having coworkers date will improve attendance and performance. But some companies aren’t as flexible and have strict HR guidelines in place that may even cost you your job. Brush up on the rules before you think about flirting.
Keep it professional: As convenient as it can be to date someone in the office (you can have lunch together often and go for happy hours that turn into dates), make sure to keep a professional appearance in front of colleagues to really be taken seriously.
Stay focused: Even if things are steamy between you two, keep that for after-hours and stay focused on your job. You don’t want to miss out on promotions and opportunities because your superiors are under the impression that you can’t concentrate on work. That’s the whole reason you’re there!
Play nice: If the relationship doesn’t work out, respect each other enough not to spill the dirty details to your colleagues and ruin each other’s reputations. You may know each other intimately but that doesn’t mean everyone else has to.
