Considering that an average person spends about 40 to 60 hours at work, office romances are quite common, due to a number of reasons. We spend a lot of our time with office coworkers, come to known about their personal and private life and for many people; it’s the only time they come in contact with another person. It seems like a perfect opportunity to meet people with who you share similar tastes, interests and values; it also relieves the tediousness of being in a boring desk job. A new romance brings in a sense of danger, excitement, having your own secret. Consorting and cavorting about with an attractive coworker seems like an adventure, but chances are that you may end up getting hurt. Office romances are for a number reasons doomed, well most of them anyway. Imagine seeing your ex at work every day, it always takes a huge effort to be civil and not betray any bitter emotions you may have boiling underneath. Sure they make everything a lot more exciting, but have you considered, what will happen once the initial feeling of love wanes? I’ll give you a few reasons as to why courting your coworker might prove to be calamitous.
10. Office Gossip
No matter how much you want to keep your relationship private theirs always nosy office gossipers who’ll keep asking you about it. Office spaces are swarming with people who can’t help but poke their noses into other people’s business, everyone wants to what everyone else is doing, everyone’s badmouthing someone or the other. Suppose you’re caught lip locking with your partner, your colleague sees you and there, that’s the end of your secret. The news spreads like wildfire and by the time you’re at work, everyone’s eyeing you suspiciously, male coworkers nudging , as if to say, you lucky bastard !It’s natural for people to want to know what going on; secrets are bound to spill out. It’s like giving your colleagues an invitation to see your life up close and personal and that is never a good thing...
9. Limited Space
A small office space seems to be a perfect place to find someone who is similar to you; however that also means that you can’t keep your relationship secret for a long time. A limited office space can be a potentially disastrous place to get attracted to a male or female coworker, and more so since everyone’s involved in everyone else’s business, So don’t expect any privacy with your partner, if you’re trying to sit down and have a quiet lunch with him/her, you can always expect to be disturbed by your coworkers, most of whom are always eager to know what is going on. If you break up, forget about ducking your ex in the hallway, you’ll bump into them some way or the other, there’s no escaping that, until of course you decide to leave work.
8. Work Competition
This is one of the main reasons why office romances go wrong. Work competition is bound to creep into your relation and that is why a lot of couples breakup. Even if you’re dating someone from the same section or department, one of you is bound to get a promotion. What happens next? They climb the professional ladder and you’re still struggling your way up. Even if you try to remain professional about and ignore those nagging thoughts about your partner being better at his/her job, it’s just never the same. What if you’re still the mail carrier, what if you’re still doing petty jobs for your boss while your partner seems to have become you boss’s right hand? What if you have to review your partner’s performance? Now you’re in a relationship with your junior, it’s humiliating!
7. Harassment Possibilities
If nothing else goes wrong, you can always expect to hear the H word. Suppose your ex turns out to a psychotic maniac, suppose they file a claim with human resources about something harmless you might have done, just to get revenge? If your relationship ends on a bad note, your ex might claim you were making unwanted advances? You come to work one day, just like any other day, and you’re being summoned to the head office about a potential harassment claim! Dumbfounded aren’t you? A Harassment suit might end up ruining your career not to mention all the snide comments and suspicious looks given to you.
6. Boredom
Come on, who wants to see their other half every single minute of the day? Sure you love each other, sure you can’t live without each other but in an office bumping into your partner everyday may get frustrating. It may be exciting in the beginning but if that begins to happen regularly, it gets annoying. I mean you have to go home and face the same person. Where’s your break? You have to see each other every day, even on weekends, at home, while driving to work! Being in close proximity with your partner all the time can kill your relationship, a lot of their little quirks will get on your nerves. The thrill and passion of the relationship soon dies and the emotions simply fade. You get bored.
5. Ending it amicably
Being professional about your relationship and handling it in a mature way is the best thing you do. So how do you end it amicably? Well first of all be civil, you may see you ex date someone new or even any one of your friends at work, now that might be a little awkward, so be respectful. If you’ve had a heated argument about something, well that is bound to rear its ugly head at work, one of you might end up yelling at the other, or blurting it all out in front of everyone. Then you’ll have to see your ex at work all the time, all those grueling work hours, which can get aggravating unless you’re getting new job offers. So end your relationship decently, you needn’t get into any squabbles at work.
4. Mixing business with pleasure
Again, this means being professional. Using your relationship to get ahead or get promotions is never right. If you’re partner starts doing that, expect everyone to brand him or her as an office slut. It can be uncomfortable hearing negative things about your partner. I once knew a colleague who’d flare up if anyone said anything about her boyfriend, so it’s best for BOTH of you to follow rules. Company policies aren’t made for dummies, be polished and proficient. If you break up, that tag of being a yes man, sticking up to the boss to get perks will never go away.
3. Attractive Coworkers
So what do you do if you’re dating someone from work and there’s a hot new receptionist or a gorgeous new boss? You’ve found someone you like, who shares your views and interests and bam, there’s someone new everyone keeps talking about. Then there’s the flirting, everyone flirts at work, its common, it seems harmless and funny, but that might end up annoying your other half. What if an attractive colleague flirts back? You’re in a bind, it will definitely make your partner uncomfortable and even if they say it doesn’t matter, be prepared to go home and get a good talking to about it. Say you begin teasing one of your coworkers over something completely innocent, just for fun; it is your partner is bound to get jealous and there are endless possibilities for a fight.
2. Your Boss
Your relationship may be going swimmingly but then there’s your boss to think about. Your relationship will have a direct impact on your relationship with your boss. If your boss is one of those bully types, expect to get bullied or harassed about relationship. Then there the nosy ones, who keep inquiring about your relationship, What if your boss likes your other half? They may indirectly try to target you at work, he won’t give you any credit for your work and he’ll undermine your efforts. If your boyfriend or girlfriend has a problem with the boss or they don’t get along then that is going to be a problem. Your boss will constantly worry if you’re paying attention, if you’re spending all your time with your partner, if you’re being productive and trust you me, if something goes wrong, he/she is always going to blame your relationship.
1. You will go crazy
It all ultimately boils down to whether your relationship was worth It or not. Office romances offer very little chances for escape, nowhere to go, no respite from each other, no absence to make the heart grow fonder, no privacy, no me time. Some people get lucky and find their soul mates at work, some don’t .Some people have to change jobs, move to a new city. If it doesn’t end in marriage, it becomes awkward. What if you get fired? What if your other half gets fired? What if you have to fire your partner? If you break up, you’ll have to pretend the other person does not exist. Writing about the potential outcomes of dating your coworker is making me crazy!!
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