Professionals often find themselves spending a significant portion of their time at the office, often more than at home. Consequently, a fair share of single men and women, who lack the time to meet new people, naturally look towards their workplace for potential partners.
Given the environment where single people spend a minimum of 40 hours, and in some professions even more, interacting with like-minded individuals with similar backgrounds and interests, relationships become an almost inevitable side effect. Office romance, though a logical choice, comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
The Upside of Office Dating
Office dating has several perks, one of which is the convenience of scouting for potential partners during work hours, effectively negating the constraints of typical office hours. Furthermore, the awkwardness that often accompanies first introductions is typically eliminated in a professional environment, easing the stress associated with making a great first impression since the focus is more on work objectives rather than personal ones.
A second perk is getting to know the person before dating them, at least to a certain degree. Often, you interact with a potential date several times on a professional level, getting a glimpse of their personality without the pressure that accompanies social settings. This interaction helps avoid a common pitfall of early relationships – incompatibility.
Lastly, office dating can facilitate quicker relationship development, given the increased amount of time spent together compared to couples who meet outside the workplace.
The Downside of Office Dating
Like any romantic scenario, office romance has its pitfalls. Constant contact due to shared workspace can be as much a disadvantage as it can be an advantage. The lack of personal space and time can lead to relationship strain and rapid deterioration.
Another major concern is when professional responsibilities, such as disciplining or even firing the person you’re dating, conflict with your personal relationship. This may also necessitate one party to demonstrate a lack of favoritism to the rest of the office, perhaps even to the point of withholding deserved promotions.
A final drawback could be jealousy, particularly if the relationship is covert. Observing office mates flirting with your partner could induce a negative reaction, possibly leading to an unnecessary professional fallout.
Before you consider dating the appealing colleague, weigh the implications of dating that person, balance the pros and cons, and be aware of the potential problems that may arise. Should you decide to proceed, have a contingency plan to handle these situations. Remember, you are dating a professional single; hence, to maintain your professional standing, keep the ‘professional’ before the ‘single.’