We spend more times with our co-workers then our families. So, it’s not uncommon to have a social life with our co-workers outside of the office.
Many will get together after work and go out for drinks maybe even dinner. Since they spend so much time together, it’s not odd to find out that many have been involved in an office romance.
Some of these romances have actually ended up in marriage and that is great. However, most of these romances end up causing them problems.
The majority of those involved in these relationships they will keep it secret and with reason. However, no matter how much they try to hide it, everyone seems to find out. It is hard to keep secrets at work and especially if it’s a juicy little secret such as this. Many will say that it’s not a big deal but it does depend on your place of employment. Companies frown on office romances because this will cause serious problems for those involved and those around them.
First of all, when a couple is working together, it is truly impossible for them to keep their personal lives separate from their work. It’s hard for them to hide their feelings, somewhere along the way they will slip up and get caught. Not only that but if they having an argument it will cross over to their work environment. They will be unable to do perform their duties as required because they are too concerned about their personal relationship.
Another problem with office romance is that most of the time they end up being extra-marital affairs. At first it may not be noticed because everyone is used to seeing them work late hours. There are the budget meetings, sales, seminars, etc. However, after a while it seems that they are always staying late especially when there isn’t a reason to do this. These romances are disastrous and actually cause havoc at work and in their respective homes. It has been seen in many offices when their spouses have gone to their place of work and literally yelled at the top of their lungs about their partner’s affair.
These relationships have a lot of consequences that no one seems to care about until they blow up in their faces. There is the constant gossiping and finger pointing in the office. These two become the joke of the town. Anything they say or do is not taken seriously and everything they do is scrutinized thoroughly. If it is a relationship between a supervisor and employee, any type of promotion, salary increase or bonus is questioned since they are involved. As far as everyone is concerned these were achieved because of how good an employee they are or how well they performed their duties at work. It’s more due to the duties performed outside of the office.
By this time these employees are no longer respected. Most likely they are hated and are now causing friction in the office. What will happen next are things they did not even think about. Once it reaches HR, they will find themselves in serious trouble. If it hasn’t been too long, they will be given a written warning and placed on probation. At times moved from one department to another and if the situation is out of hand it can cause one of them or both to lose their job.
Here is something that is hard to swallow but it’s true. When we find out about these relationships, especially if it’s an affair, we tend to put names on those involved. For instance, the man is considered a pig and an opportunist. The woman on the other hand is considered to be a tramp, loose, trash, etc. All will lose everyone’s respect and will be marked. Everyone will avoid her as though she has the plague. Is it right to do this? No but society frowns on this and women are the ones to suffer the most.
So if you are considering getting involved with someone you work with, think about it long and hard. Don’t jump into it blindly. Sure the chemistry is there; the attraction is strong but is it all worth it. Some of these office romances survive and end up in marriage but one always ends up leaving the work place or both. Be prepared to face the consequences that arise from this relationship and of course, the reputation that will come along with it.