Can a Workplace Romance Work?

Like over half of Americans, you are considering dating a coworker. Find out if entangling with a fellow employee is all it is cracked up to be and get answers to the burning questions like: Is it worth the risk? Is it allowed by Corporate? What if we break up?

Putting both your heart and your source of income on the line for a shot at love is scary. Yet, since familiarity breeds attraction and most spend much of their waking hours in the workplace, it is only natural for a spark to occur between two people who work together.

However, taking the plunge into partnering with someone you work with requires forethought and careful consideration, meaning it should not be taken lightly. Therefore, invest time thinking about the following possible consequences before you make your big move.

Risks of Dating a Coworker

If you value your privacy, you may not want to involve yourself in an office liaison. Why? People talk. Once word gets out about your relationship, the rumor mill will not be far behind. You may experience a lot of unwanted attention and gossip as a direct result of the romance.

Additionally, the legitimacy of how you earned your current or future positions at work is likely to be called into question. While your relationship with a coworker may have nothing to do with your job status, it is prevalent for people at work to misconstrue your intentions without knowing the facts regarding your work performance.

Corporate Policies on Dating a Coworker

If you are a team member for a large corporation, you got an employee manual when you were hired. Refer to this guide to determine if you can or cannot get romantically involved with someone else who works there. If you did not get a paper copy, contact Human Resources for one or try to find it on your company's official website.

In contrast, small to medium-sized businesses may not have such a clear-cut set of written rules to rely on. This does not mean there are no such rules in place. As opposed to asking lower-level employees, be sure to ask the business owner, CEO, or president to clarify what the policies are so you can stay within the boundaries of what is and is not appropriate at work.

Breaking Up with a Coworker

If you prefer avoiding your exes, strongly consider not dating a coworker. Since most splits and separations happen for a reason, it will boldly stare you in the face every single day at your workplace.

Even if the breakup is mutual and no hard feelings exist on either side, you will still have to see each other daily. This may cause confusion, awkwardness, favoritism, and even feelings of jealousy.

After contemplating over the pros and cons of a workplace romance, like the risk involved, the rules where you work, and what happens if it doesn't pan out, you can more confidently decide if this is or is not the right thing to do for your love life and career path. After all, you deserve to experience the best of both worlds, and by making a snap judgment to move forward or not, you may be selling yourself short in love or at work.