Office Romances Abound in Today’s Workplace
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Love and Work
37% of employees surveyed have dated a co-worker, and 30% of those courtships have led to marriage. -
Shhh!
36% of surveyed workers who have had an office romance kept the relationship a secret, even though 25% of those who date colleagues have accidentally run into co-workers while out with their significant other. -
Risky Romance
25% of those who have had an office relationship have dated someone in a higher position than them –including their boss. -
Where Co-Workers Discover That Initial Romantic Spark
Happy hours: 12%, Late nights on the job: 11%, Lunches: 11%, Chance meetings outside of work: 10% -
Job Qualification
23% of professionals said that a person’s livelihood influences whether they’d date him or her. -
Workplace Dating Deal Breakers: Steady Paycheck
39% of professionals said they wouldn’t date someone who doesn’t work on a consistent basis. -
Workplace Dating Deal Breakers: Three’s a Crowd
25% wouldn’t date someone if that person has already dated another co-worker. -
Workplace Dating Deal Breakers: Long Gone
21% wouldn’t date someone if that person travels extensively for work. -
Workplace Dating Deal Breakers: Schedule Conflict
8% said they wouldn’t date someone who works nights, and 6% said the same about people who work weekends. -
Workplace Dating Deal Breakers: Compensation Issue
6% wouldn’t date a person who makes less than they do.
Romance is alive and well in the modern office, according to a recent Valentine’s Day-themed survey from CareerBuilder. A significant number of professionals admit that they’ve dated co-workers, and many of these relationships actually lead to marriage, findings revealed. As a CIO, this may not come as a complete shock. You can see that IT professionals work long hours, after all. And survey results indicate that a late-night work session will often result in something other than, well, work. (Occasions such as happy hours and lunches are also romance-friendly.) CIOs should know, however, what (if any) official company policies exist, and they should enforce those rules accordingly. At the very least, office dating should not disrupt productivity, and conflicts of interest must be avoided–especially when a boss dates a direct report, which some survey respondents admit has happened. CareerBuilder’s findings also revealed a number of office dating “deal breakers” with regard to one’s professional status and work circumstances, and we’ve included those here. More than 3,055 professionals took part in the research.