How To handle Office Romance

Not so long ago, office romance was more taboo than to-do. But as the long-hours culture continues its steady march, cubicle couples and boardroom beaus are gracing workplaces everywhere.

According to a recent survey by US media company Vault, 47 per cent of respondents said they’d been involved in an office romance, while 82 per cent had known of an office romance taking place between colleagues.

Of course, stolen kisses by the stationery cupboard and lingering looks over the photocopier can bring misery as well as intrigue to your working week.

So how do you have an office romance without leaving a heart-shaped hole in your career?

Don’t: Bed your boss
While the chemistry between you and your boss may be palpable, many companies forbid relationships between supervisors and subordinates, so think carefully before you start an office romance. No matter how talented you are, colleagues may speculate about the ‘real’ reason for your next pay rise or promotion - and there's potential for sexual harassment claims, too.

Do: Check the small print
If you’re already in a relationship with a colleague, reviewing a copy of your employment contract may seem trivial compared to doe-eyed daydreams and galloping hearts. But checking the small print will determine whether your office romance remains permissible, or whether you're required to move departments, jobs or offices to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Don’t: Neglect your work
Although it’s tempting to reminisce about the night before instead of concentrating on the task at hand, try not to let a knowing glance, compliment or smile from your partner distract you from your work. Set the rules of engagement, eyeball your goals, take positive action, and make the most of your elevated dopamine levels to work up a professional sweat.

Do: Keep it clean
Those lusty, libidinous emails might leave you hot under your lipstick-stained collar, but will they leave your employer cold? Emails that impact negatively on a company’s reputation can result in disciplinary procedures, so consider setting up a free email account for the purpose of sending and receiving your lettres d'amour.

Don’t: Play favourites
If you want your career to go the distance, take extra care not to reward your partner with undeserved brownie points - good intentions now could seriously stymie your chances of a promotion down the track. Avoid accusations of favouritism, or the appearance of preferential treatment, by making it a priority to treat all your colleagues equally.

Do: Play it cool
While you may want to tell the world that you’ve fallen head over heels, sometimes it’s better to keep quiet about love on the job until you’re sure that your relationship will last. The less your colleagues know, the better - there’ll be no need to prune the office grapevine, and your connection will benefit from all that initial secrecy.

Don’t: Act unprofessionally
If you and your partner can’t keep your hands off each other, use your acting skills and adopt identical personas of single, self-contained colleagues while you’re at work. Avoid intimate conversations or seductive smiles, and save frisky business for after hours. Similarly, don’t risk lowering colleague’s perceptions of your work performance - leave any personal differences at the office door.

Do: Kiss and keep quiet
Nobody starts an office romance intending to end it - but it happens. We’ve all heard about the ugly break-ups that divided colleagues, fuelled runaway rumours, and led to career sabotage. Fortunately, setting time aside to ensure you part maturely and without causing deliberate pain can minimise the potential for bitter retaliations, and help you deal with any awkward situations that may arise afterwards, too.