Also in a recent survey conducted by Harris International on behalf of CareerBuilder from November 1 to November 30, 2012, among 4,216 workers the followings discoveries were made:

1. 39 percent of respondents said they have dated a co-worker
2. 17 percent said they have dated co-worker at least twice
3. 3 out of 10 workers who had office romances married their co-workers
4. 29 percent reported having dated someone above them in their companys hierarchy
5. 16 percent admitted having dated their boss
6. 38 percent of women reported having dated their boss compared to 21 percent of men.

The above statistics show that workplace romances are real, it happens, however, absolute caution must be taken when engaging in such relationships, in fact, if it can be avoided it is better to look elsewhere for romance other than a workplace. Having said this, note must be taken of the rules and regulations, customs and practices of the organization to see if your organization is favorably disposed to such relationship or not. This is important because some organizations have an unwritten code that disallowed workplace relationships even when they display a public toga of a flexible and an accommodating workplace.

WHAT IS WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIP OR OFFICE ROMANCE?

Workplace relationship or romance is the feeling of affection that happens between two co-workers in the same organization or corporate space having the character of a hidden or an outward expression of deep emotion or gesture of excitement and possibly loves.

CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIP AND ROMANCE

• It a type of relationships that exist between two people employed by the same organization

• It is promoted mostly by proximity, closeness and time spent together at a workplace or on the same project or task.

• It may result in an uncommon partnership, a feeling of togetherness and sometimes conscious or unconscious outward expression of feeling for each other

• Such relationships could lead to love, marriage or a broken relationship

• It is not limited to the unmarried, it can happen between married employee and unmarried employee or between married and married persons or what has been described as adulterous workplace relationship

• It is intentional as both parties are conscious of their decision

• It may occur at different hierarchies in the organization, for example between executive members or senior staff, between a boss and a subordinate, or between peers

• It might not necessarily be supported or disallowed by the organization; hence, it could be open or hidden.

Continue reading: ADVANTAGES OF WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS AND ROMANCE

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• Performance Energizer
It is a popular saying that a happy worker is a productive worker and since positive relationship promotes happiness it can then be inferred that being in a relationship with a co-worker would naturally promote productivity and improved performances with less distraction and more commitment to the organization.

• Unity and bond-builder
When two co-workers who are united by work get involves in a relationship we assume that such relationships will ultimately promote unity aimed at the companys interest. The parties will tend to support each other in the completion of a task and sometimes they stay back in the office to ensure that tasks are completed.

• Promotes the sense of appreciation and loyalty

When organizations operate open policies that promote romantic affair disclosure, the employees that are involved tend to express some sense of gratitude to the organization for accepting them and this will in a way enhanced their loyalty to the organization and its ideals and vision.

• DISADVANTAGES OF WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS AND ROMANCE

It is instructive to look at the case of astronauts Lisa Nowak and William Oefelein; who were involved in a relationship as members of NASA in 2007. Lisa and William started out on a friendly note and later gravitated towards a relationship that turns out bad. William Oefelein left the relationship and got involved with Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman whom he later got married to.
In an apparent frustration and in an attempt to stopped Shipman from getting involve with William, it was reported that Nowak travelled 900 miles from Houston to Orlando, Florida on 4-5th February, 2007, having in her car a latex gloves, a BB pistol and ammunition, pepper spray, black wig, a trench coat, a 2-pound (900 grams) drilling hammer, black gloves, rubber tubing, plastic garbage bags, her computer, a knife with a cash sum of approximately $ 585.
She arrived the Orlando International Airport, waited to identified Shipment who has just arrived Houston by plane, she accosted her at the car parking lot, but, because Shipman had noticed someone following on her heels to the parking area she moved faster, got into her car and wound up and secured the doors. Nowak ran towards and knocked on the car door veraciously asking to be giving a ride, Shipman said she lower the window a little only to be sprayed with the pepper spray, she drove off and call the attention of the police and Nowak was arrested.

The above example is the other side of workplace romance, so I will be looking at some of the disadvantages of workplace relationship.

• Adulterous workplace relationship.

Since there are no codes restricting relationships amongst adults, it has been noticed that sometimes individuals that are married get involved in a romantic relationship at workplace giving all the conditions that promote such relationship at workplace thereby leading to adultery and families destabilization. In some instances, the true states of ones marital status are kept a secret deliberately to allow for extra-marital affairs at a workplace.
I remembered some years back when a man walked into the office to accused his wife of extramarital affairs at a workplace; it was such a nuisance and an embarrassment to the organization. It took the efforts of well-meaning colleagues to douse the tension that such act degenerated into.

• Hampered Productivity

It is without a doubt that when colleagues engage in romantic relationships at the workplace, it has the tendency of creating distractions for the individuals with negative attendance on quality of their performance and productivity. It is worst if it is a boss and his or her subordinate staff.

• Conflict of Interest

Imagine when your secret or disclosed lover who reported to you commit an offense in breach of the companys policy and you are in a position to investigate the matter. Definitely, there will be a conflict of interest between your affairs and the organizations interest except for really matured and principled individuals.

• Jealousy among co-workers

Like every other relationship, a relationship between co-workers could go wrong and it can sometimes result in a broken relationship, also, we have seen cases of double dating and the so-called triangular dating. The resultant effects of broken relationships among colleagues can results in deep-seated hatred and jealousy when the same person is found dating another worker in the same organization. Also, because those in relationships are always thinking that nobody is aware of their secret affairs when in actual fact it is an open secret, this also create jealousy and sometimes hidden hatred.

• Accusation of Sexual Harassment

An earlier article on sexual harassment, pointed out copiously the criminal implications of workplace sexual harassment and how difficult it is to drew a line between mutual consent and harassment, often time, when a relationship turns out bad, a party to the affairs often claim harassment, victimization, and retaliation which in itself is an offence.

• Pros and Cons of Workplace Romance

It is the position of this writer, that the pros and cons of workplace romance should be properly weighed before it is engaged in. And, if possible, look outside the workplace for romance.
Continued to: HOW SHOULD ORGANIZATIONS MANAGE WORKPLACE ROMANCES?

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