The Unarguable Dos and Donts of Having an Office Romance

The Unarguable Dos and Donts of Having an Office Romance If youve been locking eyes with a special someone across the room, making flirtatious small talk at the water cooler, or day-dreaming of the two of you running off into the sunset together; you may want to give it some proper thought before progressing your office romance! Though  there are a lot of  positives to working with your significant other, there are also a lot of dangers of getting involved with a colleague! So whether youre already seeing someone at work, or youre thinking about it, here are a few dos and donts of office romances: DO know your companys policy Before getting involved with a colleague you may want to double check your companys policy  on  relationships among coworkers, to avoid  violating any rules or harming your position in the company. Each organisation  has different regulations  regarding the topic and whereas some may not have any rules in place, others may be against dating colleagues, or wish for you to disclose your relationship. DONT    let it affect your work Having an office crush can be  distracting enough in the workplace, let alone actually getting romantically involved with a colleague! If you do start a relationship with someone from work, it is important that you dont let it affect your work. Stay on task and continue as you were before you became an item. This means that you should treat each other professionally during work hours, without allowing personal feelings or lovers tiffs get in the way. DO be discreet Your other colleagues dont want to watch you  kissing or cuddling at work, trust me. Not only  could it make them feel uncomfortable, but it also opens you up to gossip, so Id  refrain from office PDAs! The same goes for after work drinks, office parties and other work functions. If you really cant refrain yourself, at least keep your flirtations subtle! If youre concerned it could affect your reputation or team dynamics at work, it may even be a good idea to keep your relationship a secret in the early days. DONT  move to fast When youre spending every single day with each other, things can get intense very quickly. Try not to get too wrapped up in a whirlwind romance and instead think properly  about the consequences of your relationship. Getting involved  with a coworker is different to other relationships, as a break up could be damaging to your job  and the rest of your team who have to work alongside the two of you. Take it slowly and determine if youre serious about the relationship. If not, nip it in the bud! DO be prepared for the response People love a good gossip and by entering an office romance youre setting yourself up to become centre of it! Any details about your relationship you choose to share with colleagues will spread like wild fire, so keep it to a minimum, no matter how much you want to talk to your workmates about it! You have to understand that not everyone will agree with it, so be prepared for a negative response from some. DONT date your boss This can never end well. Not only can it make things very complicated when youre reporting directly to your other half at work, but your peers may feel that you are being treated differently because of it or offered better opportunities off the back of your relationship. The same goes for dating someone who directly reports to you, as you open yourself up to a sexual harassment suit if things go sour and it wont do much for your reputation either! DO set boundaries Right a the beginning the two of you should have a discussion about how you will conduct yourself at work and how it could affect you if  it didnt work out. Setting boundaries early on will help you to maintain professionalism while in the office and prevent it from affecting your responsibilities and collaborations at work. DONT  communicate via work email Exchanging saucy messages via the work email system opens up the risk of some very dangerous slips of the key! One wrong click and youve sent it to the entire department and nobody wants to know about your antics behind closed doors! A lot of companies have access to your work emails anyway, so eliminate the risk by sticking to your own personal means of communication. DO  behave professionally if it ends Not all relationships work out, so if things go south between the two of you, it is important that it does not impact your behaviour at work. Chances are that you are still going to have to work alongside each other, so make sure you remain professional, so that  business is not affected and other colleagues dont feel uncomfortable or dragged into conflict. DONT  get involved if theyre  married This is an absolute no go! You may find that you grow closer to a colleague when you spend every day with them, however if they are already in a relationship then you must refrain from acting upon any feelings that develop. It will only end in drama and heartache. Image: Pablo