they dated a colleague.
Hm. I’m pondering this. I wonder if people would really enjoy work more, or if they think they would.
Along the lines of research to ponder, here is some totally unsourced research about office romances:
What are the pros and cons of office romances?
–33% would like the personal and professional convenience of sharing an office.
–65% feel their coworkers would look down on an office romance.
–90% are most worried about the awkwardness of a breakup.
–17% have had an office romance.
–42% would enjoy work more if they dated a colleague.
–80% are concerned about office gossip.
–47% want someone who understands their work issues.
–15% of office romances end in engagements.
Is this the most responsible group of people surveyed ever? All concerned about awkwardness and gossip and not inclined to date their coworkers.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
My husband and I have been married for 5 years. This past June I applied at his company and now we work at the same place. The company I work for frequently hires spouses and so far I haven’t heard any negatives to this trend. The company is large enough that our job lives don’t intersect.
However, my co-worker was engaged to another co-worker and they met at work. And I mean ‘was’ because they are no longer engaged and only a few people on the floor know it. It’s a weird situation for everyone involved.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
So you are in the 42%! I’m struck by how some workplaces seem especially amenable to hiring spouses.
December 31st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
When I’m in a truly horrible job, I almost always develop a mad crush on someone I work with, seemingly to give myself some reason to want to be there.
January 1st, 2009 at 7:26 am
My company loves to hires spouses. There are at least 10 couples that I know of. And I’m positive there are more. No non-dating policy, either, except for direct reports.
Awkward, when one is laid off though.
(And you know I married my coworker, but it was a retail job so I’m not sure how different that is…)
January 5th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
The company I used to work for had tons of couples/mates/spouses working there. Not to mention siblings, parents, and roommates. My mother, grandmother, brother, and I all worked in the same office at one point. My brother has a son with a former office mate, and is now married to another (whose ex used to work there, too).
My BFF met her boyfriend of 7 years in the office, and I can think of at least six or seven other married couples right off the top of my head - not to mention the HOOKUPS that only resulted in gossip (not relationships).
I have never dated a coworker; however, at the time I met my husband, he was working for the same company - at a different office. My mom introduced us; she passed his desk every day on the way to her own.
Gives new meaning to the term “family friendly company!”