Is Dating A Coworker Really That Bad?: The Cost Of The Office Romance. Time to Dust Off the Old Employee Handbook.
Chris G. Laughter
VP Client Services at First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement Services
As TJ Holmes’ and Amy Robach’s absence from “GMA3: What You Need to Know” continues, many people have begged the question, “Is dating a coworker?really?that bad?”
?For ABC News President Kim Godwin, the answer appears to be yes. The?New York Times?reported ?that Godwin called the co-anchors’ affair an “internal and external distraction” during an editorial call that took place shortly after?The Daily Mail?broke news about Robach and Holmes’ alleged relationship.
It makes sense ABC News doesn’t want to draw attention to an affair two married employees are having off-air. Less clear, though, is why Robach and Holmes were put on temporary leave, since, according to the?New York Times, Godwin said their relationship didn’t violate company policy.
Holmes and Robach may have made headlines for their relationship, but they’re by no means the only coworkers who are trying their luck at dating. A 2022?study ?by the Society for Human Resource Management states 33% of U.S. workers report being in an office romance either currently or in the past. Despite the onset of remote work, this is 6 percentage points higher than the percent of U.S. workers involved in office relationships prior to 2020.
Global pandemic or not, it’s clear office romances aren’t going anywhere. But what are employees supposed to do when company policy is fuzzy – or nonexistent all together? Rom-coms may encourage you to follow your heart, but the workforce is a little more complicated than that. Dust off the employee handbook
Dust off the employee handbook
If you work for a company that has a rule preventing coworkers from dating, odds are you’ll find it in the employee handbook.
Some offices might prohibit dating altogether, while others may require employees to sign a contract stating the relationship is consensual. A relationship between two coworkers in different levels of power will likely face more scrutiny since it is more likely to lead to favoritism and sexual harassment.
As awkward as it might be to talk to your HR manager about your love life, company policy is, at the end of the day, still company policy – failure to abide by it can get you reprimanded or even fired.?
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Actually consider what’s at risk
There’s a reason HR doesn’t want coworkers to date, and in most cases, it’s not because they anchor the 1 p.m. news together. Dating creates messes and no HR manager wants a mess that spills into the 40-hour work week. Distractions, uncomfortable work dynamics – these things may be some of the last thing on someone’s mind if they’ve been bitten by the love bug, but should a relationship end badly, they’re more than likely to happen.
Be honest with yourself about your ability to regulate your emotions
Some people have a more difficult time with breakups than others. If you’re one of them, be especially cautious about entering a relationship with a coworker. Running into an ex at the printer probably won’t make moving on from heartbreak any easier. Ask yourself: “How will my work life and love life be hindered by seeing an ex on a regular basis?”
Whether you’re currently in a relationship with a coworker or getting over a previous relationship, you need to remain professional in the office. If you can’t do that, start looking outside the office for a potential partner to date.
Reflect on where you’re at in your career
Dating a coworker often comes at a cost. Employers may be less likely to give promotions to employees involved in office relationships in fear that the employee has a?conflict of interest . Employees dating their superior will face even more complications when it comes to getting a raise. Should they be promoted over someone else, people will assume favoritism likely played a role. This can lead to tension in the office that not only leads to complaints with HR, but also compromises the quality of the work being done.
A relationship that ends badly with a superior can also hinder an employee’s chances at moving up in their career, albeit in the opposite way. There’s no better post-break up retaliation than preventing an ex from getting the promotion they’ve spent the last several years working toward.
Take a long pause to think about your own goals and needs before opening the door to a potential relationship with a coworker. If you see yourself staying with the company long-term with the goal of and rising the ladder, it’s best to keep any romantic feelings you have on the back burner.
Wait it out
Is there really need to rush love? If you and your coworker are meant to be more than just friends, things will find a way to fall in place. Unfortunately, this may mean having to wait a few years until the situation changes. Timing is everything in life – including a cynical matchmaker.
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Forbes.com Author:?
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Forbes.com | February 14, 2023
Read the Entire Article: https://www.firstsun.com/2023/02/14/yourcareer-is-dating-a-coworker-really-that-bad-the-cost-of-the-office-romance-time-to-dust-off-the-old-employee-handbook/