Dating A Co-Worker

Many companies have written policies that forbid co-workers from dating each other. While it may be a written rule in a lot of places, more often than not, chemistry will win out every time.

There are numerous couples that have met in the workplace and gone on to have a long happy relationship, or even marry. An even higher number of these couples managed to both keep their jobs and dating a secret until one of them was able to move to another company.

It’s a tricky situation and not easy to do, but those that have managed it tend to feel it was worth the effort and aggravation.

The question, however, is dating a co-worker a good idea? Let’s assume the two people in question are single, available and consenting adults. They meet in the workplace, like each other, spend time talking and find they have a lot in common.

Taking things a step further, they find that they’re extremely attracted to each other. In any other situation, these two would be having a drink after work, going to dinner, or seeing a movie together. However, this couple works for a company that forbids dating among employees.

This is the point where things can get sticky and is also the reason that companies have a no dating policy in place. When two people are first dating and falling in love, they walk around in a fog. In a case where the couple works at the same place, there would be very little work done by either of them because they’d be too busy staring at each other, talking to each other, and focusing only on the next time they are going to be together.

The flip side of this coin is if they break things off. Then you’ve got two angry people that cannot get anything done because they see each other all the time at work and their anger and hurt reinforces every time they lay eyes on each other. You can see the problem.

Now, that’s not to say all couples are like this. Many couples can have mature relationships and keep the giggling and starry eyes where they belong. Those are also the couples that can probably have a successful relationship while working at the same place and also keeping it all under wraps.

If you’re working at a company with one of those no dating policies, yet are finding yourself attracted to a co-worker, the most important thing you need to figure out is which of those groups you belong in: Are you mature enough to keep the relationship to yourself, or are you the giggly, walking around in a fog type?

If you feel that you can honestly function normally while being around your new love all day at work, it should all be fine. But you should keep in mind that if you’re working with someone all day, the novelty may wear off pretty quickly. It’s probably better if one of you found a new job should things get too serious between you.