Have you ever dated, or thought of dating a colleague in your office before?
Dating your colleague in the office can be very thrilling, what about the hide-and-seek game? But it can also be very dangerous to your career if not well-managed and if you’re flouting company policy.
Unless you are married and have scruples against it, nothing stops you from fancying someone you admire in your office and ending up having a romantic crush, but you must apply some maturity to make it work or it might end up disastrous.
While some people will admit to having dated someone they have worked with, many others would rather be discreet and keep things to themselves. Whatever you choose to do, you must bear the following dos and don’ts in mind:
1. Never, never date your boss
Dating your boss is a no-no situation and definitely a no-go area, yet it is the most common thing around. Bosses date their secretaries and managers date their subordinates, but it often turns awry in the end because insubordination soon sets in and this affects business or productivity.
There is no denying the fact that dating your boss could lead to marriage and something more serious, but if you must make sure you do not report directly to the said boss. Yes, do not date a boss in the office and if you must then ensure that you do not directly report to him…or her.
2. Follow your company policy
We have said this before. Ensure you are not flouting any company rules by dating a colleague or it might cost you your job. So know what your company’s stand or position on this is before going ahead with any office romance. In fact, this is more difficult where some companies ask you to state your relationship status and name of your lover/spouse. So be certain you understand what the odds are before your heart runs away with your eyes.
3. Be careful of the social media
Be careful of posting or tweeting about your love life in the social media networks. And don’t post a romantic photo of yourself and your office lover on Facebook or Twitter or any other social networks – because you don’t know who is ready or who might be connected with you on such media networks.
4. Do not display physical affections
You sure don’t want to set the tongues wagging in your direction, and you don’t want to be the subject of office gossips. So do away with any public display of affections like hugging, kissing, holding hands, or staring at each other across the office; and be careful the way you react or respond if someone else reports on your office lover. Any display of physical affections could send things spiraling out of control and you could be caught in a maelstrom of events that could either jeopardize your romantic relationship or cost you your job.
5. Be professional if things fall apart
Must you be told that you have to be professional and impersonal with it if things fall apart? Perhaps you should. Do not take it personal if things fail to work out between the two of you, and it shouldn’t affect your work or ability to move on to other relationships. So be a professional first and foremost, and then a lover in order to ensure that things work out to the best of your advantage.
Have you had any experience dating your boss, subordinate, or office colleague? How did it go and how did you handle it? Share your views and opinions in the comments section below.