For a lot of Americans, most of the week day is spent at the office. That often leaves little time for socializing and potentially meeting someone to date outside work.
“You are going to meet attractive people and get the opportunity to know them well, because you spend so much time together,” psychologist and relationship expert Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby says of office romances.
Office romances can be fun and exciting, but they are also risky.
“Say you go through a period of fighting and you’re working together, it becomes very difficult to maintain those personal and professional boundaries,” Dr. Bobby says.
While dating policies differ with each workplace, some companies like Airbnb are taking a different approach. Airbnb tells employees they have one shot to try it out. The reason behind the company’s new office dating rule is in hopes of eliminating the potential for harassment.
Even if the feelings are mutual but the relationship still fails, Dr. Bobby says the results can still be impactful.
“People are absolutely gutted because they have to show up for work and interact with their ex, and it is so painful,” she says.
According to Career Builder, 6 percent of workers have left a job because of a romantic relationship went sour.
If you do find yourself falling for a co-worker, the relationship expert suggests to, “minimize the time you spend with this person especially alone. Keep it very professional and very much in the friend zone.”
Ultimately, to find romance outside of work, Dr. Bobby suggests finding work life balance first.
