5 Reasons Why You Shouldn\’t Engage in Office Romance

Office romance is a short or long term romantic relationship between colleagues who often work in the same office, project location or business. In some places, it is not encouraged as it is considered to be a threat to the total well-being of the organization.

Dating in the workplace is a bad idea and can lead to severe consequences for both parties. The outcomes include:

1. It leads to dispute in the office.
2. If the affair did not work out, you will constantly be reminded in the office
3. It results to lustful feelings.
4. It leads to unpleasant rumours and gossips.
5. It could affect your work in the office.

It leads to dispute in the office

The office romance has the potential to introduce a range of conflicts of interest and inefficiencies. For instance, the higher pay rise or expensive training opportunity given by a manager to a secret romantic partner, the carefully planned agenda of a work trip with extra free time or nights away, etc.

If the affair didn\’t work out, you will constantly be reminded in the office

The workplace is a breeding ground for love and lust, even though many companies frown on colleagues dating, and view it as an HR nightmare.

More commonly, an office romance can also make the rest of the team uncomfortable, and affect performance.

It results to lustful feelings

Office romances can stifle productivity, lead to sexual harassment charges, and destroy the work- place environment. My advice is do not get started in the first place; don\’t take that first step down the proverbial “ethical slippery slope.” That said, office romances can and will continue to occur.

It leads to unpleasant rumours and gossips

One of the biggest reasons employers tend to discourage interoffice affairs is because they generate gossip and gossip wastes time and fosters distrust and dissatisfaction.

Read more: how to stop yourself from catching feelings get over your crush

It could affect your work in the office

Negative relationships result in distraction from work and they typically complicate the ways the parties communicate with each other. Problems in coworker relationships can be determinants of depression and other severe health outcomes. They reduce commitment, job satisfaction, and work efficiency.

The main antecedent factors proposed to explain the formation of romances between two employees include their degree of physical and functional proximity to one another, repeated social interactions with one another, similarity of work- and nonwork-related attitudes, physiological arousal in one another\’s presence.

How can you handle office romance?

1. It must not affect the quality of your work.
2. By checking the company\’s office relationship guidelines
3. By keeping it confidential
4. By thinking about the repercussions

1. It must not affect the quality of your work

One of the golden rules of enjoying office romance is to ensure that it does not affect your functionality at work.

2. By checking the company\’s office relationship guidelines

Before you begin a relationship with your colleague, make sure you look at the company policies about dating co-workers. Many companies, large and small, have hard and fast rules against relationships developing between co-workers.

3. By keeping it confidential

Keeping a relationship private in an office is quite good and will make it last longer, according to specialists, because it keeps poking eyes and opinions of the outside world. Meanwhile, if the relationship does get serious, one member should strongly consider a new position outside the company. That way, you can separate your career paths from the relationship.

4. By thinking about the repercussions

In the event that an employee starts dating their colleague, what will you do? How will you proceed to ensure everyone feels comfortable?If a subordinate and superior relationship happens, you should consider sitting with both parties and seeing if one can transfer to another department. If your workplace doesn’t want to be lenient, perhaps it’s best to suspend or terminate both employees.

Conclusion

Before you begin a relationship with your colleague, make sure you look at the company policies about dating co-workers. Many companies, large and small, have hard and fast rules against relationships developing between co-workers.

Given office romance isn’t going away, however, some experts say smart companies will allow employees to date, while making sure professional lines aren’t being crossed.