February must be the month of romance -- even in the workplace -- based on various
reports we've been sent recently.
First, the American Management Association (AMA) reported on a survey of its members on office romance and found that while
70 percent of employees say they wouldn't get involved in an office romance, 40 percent have been involved in an
office romance. Perhaps more interestingly, 30 percent of respondents noted their office romance ended in marriage.
Then, there is word from CareerCast.com, a job search portal, offering this advice for office romances:
Keep your involvement private until you've both determined that you're in it for the long haul.
Communicate clearly and directly with each other about how you should act at work. If you can't come to an
agreement and stick with it, you might want to reconsider your relationship.
Give each other space when you're in the office. Don't crowd each other or constantly check up on one another.
If you have a boss-subordinate work relationship, consider transferring out of the same department so you're
not both put in a potentially risky situation with top management, who watch for potential legal landmines.
Your relationship should be a collaborative effort. If one of you is putting in more time into the relationship
than the other it could be a warning sign that you're headed for trouble.
