“Don’t find your honey where you make your money.”
This was the advice given to me by an old-timer construction foreman working at an industrial facility when I was a young engineer. I thought the rhyme was quite funny,but there is a lot of wisdom in that little rhyme.
However, in today’s society, many people spend more time at work than they do at home.
According to a 2014 survey, 56% of business professionals surveyed admitted to being involved in workplace romance.
And it is only expected for these numbers to rise as people are working longer and longer hours to keep up with the demands of their careers.
Here are some things to consider if you find yourself thinking about or are already involved in workplace romance:
- Do not have intimate moments at work. While this may seem like a no-brainer, this needs to be said. There have been a number of incidents where co-workers were caught making out or even having sex on company property. Not only is this embarrassing if you’re caught in the act, it could cost you your job.
- Do get familiar with you company’s policies on workplace romances. Some companies strictly forbid this and could result in disciplinary actions, including the loss of your job.
- Do set clear boundaries and expectations on how this romance will affect your job performance, especially when dating someone within the same department, group or project. Do you or your partner have expectations of favoritism? Are there any expectations of early promotions? Etc.
- For women, do not dress to impress. Dress for your job. Oftentimes, women like to dress up or in a certain way to impress the person they are with. Keep in mind your company’s dress code policy and do not dress too provocatively to get his attention.
- Do ask yourself the question – “Can I still work with this person if he breaks my heart?” before getting too emotionally involved in the relationship. As Stephen Covey says “Begin with the end in mind.” If you cannot see yourself still interacting with him/her on a daily basis, in a professional manner, without letting your feelings get in the way, reconsider the relationship. Taking a look at your current relationship with your ex-lovers is a good indication of how you’ll handle this situation.
- Do make sure you have more in common than just work. Many work relationships start because the majority of your time is spent together at work. Be intentional about getting to know the person outside of who he/she is at work. Although unavoidable, minimize pillow talk conversations that are work related.
- Do not discuss your relationship issues with other co-workers. Just as you wouldn’t discuss your relationship highs and lows with your co-workers if you were dating someone outside of the office, do the same when you’re dating a colleague. The workplace is similar to high school. Rumors start very quickly and spread like wildfire. A well-intentioned comment could easily be misconstrued as something completely different and threaten to destroy both your reputation and your lover’s reputation.
Keeping these 7 tips in mind, you can successfully manage a workplace romance without compromising or sabotaging your job.
~SAM
