The skinny on office romance
Find out the do's and don'ts of dating co-workers
By Laura Morsch
CareerBuilder.com
Editor's Note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.
Another Friday night at the office. Takeout boxes litter your cube, your eyes are swimming from scrutinizing those spreadsheets, and as you lean over the divider to talk to your co-worker -- suddenly he looks pretty darn good.
More Americans are finding that their next date is just a cubicle away, according to a recent survey by CareerBuilder.com. Fifty-six percent of workers admitted they have dated a co-worker, and 31 percent have engaged in an office romance more than twice, the survey found.
How it happens
People told CareerBuilder they usually got involved with a co-worker when collaborating on a project or after punching out for the day.
Twenty-two percent of office romances blossomed while working together on a project, and 15 percent cropped up while working late. Another 13 percent of workers bonded with their new sweetie over happy hour cocktails.
"When you spend several hours of the day working with someone, it's not unusual to see employees make a personal connection," said Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder's vice president of human resources.
Some industries appear more prone to workplace romance than others, according to a Vault survey. Employees believed the media/entertainment industry was most conducive to office hookups, followed by advertising/marketing and consulting. Straight-laced finance workers and technology personnel were perceived to be the least likely to engage in interoffice hanky-panky.
Off-limits love?
The good news is most employees -- 75 percent -- believe workers should be able to date anyone they want, according to the CareerBuilder survey. But dating an office mate is often much more complicated.
Almost half (46 percent) of amorous co-workers keep their relationship a secret at work, the survey found. Many companies have policies against dating co-workers, and in some workplaces, the office rumor mill is sufficient to drive the relationship underground.
And not all office romances are created equal, at least according to a Vault survey of employers. About 64 percent of employers said a manager dating a subordinate is plain wrong.
Other taboo pairings include an employee dating someone in upper management, an employee dating an intern, an employee dating the boss' child and same-sex romances.
Maintain professionalism
So you're already smitten with a co-worker? Interoffice dating has some real perks. Long team projects and overtime are suddenly much more enjoyable, and you always have a sympathetic ear after a bad day on the job. Just be sure to keep the PDA out of the office and don't let your romantic bliss affect your job performance.
But there's always a chance your pairing could end in a nasty breakup -- one exacerbated by seeing your former flame 40 hours a week. One in 10 workers leave their jobs because of an office romance, according to CareerBuilder.
If things go sour, be careful, subdued and above all, mature. Your ex is still important to your professional success, so always act professional inside the company walls.
