By Devina Kaur

March 30, 2023 (IANSlife) When two employees from the same company start dating or get intimate, it is called workplace romance. Due to the lack of formal regulations and norms in enterprises, there is a lot of ambiguity as to what is accepted. Your supervisor and company want you to be happy and productive but at what cost to the company?  

With the extremely busy lives we live, most of us spend more time with co-workers than anyone else in our lives. We are more prone to form a bond and share intimacy with our co-workers due to the time we spend together. 

Working with someone can allow you to get to know them far better. When you meet someone at work, you have a higher chance of developing an attraction that is based on more than simply appearances because you have worked with them and gotten to know them professionally. Office romances, however, can impact the work environment, impede productivity, and result in sexual harassment claims. 

Workplace romance policies should be taken into consideration by companies:

How explicit are office affairs? And how well are they implemented? Businesses owe it to their employees to be clear on company policies regarding office romances. Businesses' professed rules are all over the place. In the past, several businesses, like UPS, had stringent policies that called for the termination of any supervisors who interacted with employees at lower levels even if they were not direct reports. When there was friction like this, businesses used to fire junior employee, who was almost always a woman.

Understand the Company culture:

Office romances, flings, and affairs are very common however they often give rise to a mess in both personal and professional life. It can also undermine your credibility. It can be difficult to present yourself as a competent professional when you're perceived as having an office romance.

Respect:

It's totally normal to be attracted to a coworker given the social setting of the job, but that doesn't guarantee that your coworker feels the same way or that you should pursue a relationship, or that you should act on your feelings for this person.

Be prepared:

You look forward to going to work every day because you know you'll see your partner at work. The environment of the office might be filled with love and positivity because of this, however, problems may arise after the end of the romance. Be prepared for the unthinkable, if and when the office romance ends will you be able to face your new reality? Will you be able to work with your ex-crush in close proximity? These are important questions to consider when heading into an office romance as your discomfort at work will make your colleagues uncomfortable as well.

Set limits:

If you find yourself romantically involved with someone at work, remember to find a confidante at work and outside of your work environment. Nobody likes to experience discomfort. Your natural inclination might be to completely avoid bringing up the relationship. This tactic, meanwhile, can lead to self-shaming, especially if you had previously talked about your colleague's love life. Be open and honest with yourself and the people close to you. 

Always be aware of the company's policy about workplace romance and adhere to it. Dating a coworker is legal and there are no laws that prohibit this. However, the company is free to fire all of the workers or a specific worker.

(Devina Kaur, Author of Too Fat Too Loud Too Ambitious)

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