Relationships at work can work but have their own politics
I have dated several (okay, a lot) of my coworkers and it may be because I am lazy. The way I see it is, why bother going out when there are perfectly attractive people sitting next to you? With that said, work relationships are a tricky subject and, as such, I have done external research from the girl Bible, Cosmopolitan.
Dating a coworker, or even thinking about dating a coworker, is completely normal, as well as more common than you may think.
As reported by Cosmopolitan, a survey done by CareerBuilder.com found 40 percent of coworkers have dated each other. There are obvious negatives with office hanky-panky. Keep in mind you will be seeing this person on a regular basis, regardless of how it turns out.
So hypothetically, if a guy you are seeing at work (we’ll call him Ed) ditches you on a date and never calls or apologizes; you still have to play nice with him Monday. You also have to play nice with Ed on Tuesday, Wednesday and that long weekly meeting on Thursday... etc. The point is this: if things go south, you must stay professional, and this can be tough. Also, you are never allowed to hit Ed with your car.
Now, there is a total difference between office flirting and office dating. There also is a total difference between office dating and office hooking up. Office flirting is totally fun and generally harmless. It is also a great way to ascertain whether your crush is interested. Cosmopolitan suggests finding out by this tried-and-true icebreaker: “Everyone thinks we’re seeing each other. Ha-ha... Crazy, right?”
If you decide to pursue a cubicle cuddle, the best thing to do is make sure both of you are on the same page. Set ground rules of what it is (and what it is not) before anything gets too involved. The next thing is to keep your mouth shut about it. Gossip at work is terrible to begin with; the last thing a budding romance needs is for that one loudmouth to find out.
Several positives of an office romance come to mind. For one, you have already skipped the awkward “getting to know you” phase. You do not have to work on impressing the other person. Secondly, you get to spend time with that special person and you don’t have to pay for any of it. In fact, you are getting paid to make flirt-eyes with Mr. Nice Smile. Awesome!
I am aware of several work romances that are pretty fantastic. One of my roommates is in an office relationship, and the two of them are so cute I want to squeeze their cheeks.
The best advice about dating a co-worker is to keep a clear head about everything.
Me? I frequently find my love life in situations that are far more complicated than dating a coworker. So I say go for it.
