To be honest, I don’t think dating a coworker is ever a good idea. Unless it’s a job you know will be extremely temporary, dating a coworker can lead to unnecessary drama within the workplace; and don’t you have enough drama in your life?
I know I know, the heart wants what it wants and you may not be able to help crushing on your coworker. It’s understandable! You see the people you work with every single day and you spend many hours with them in sometimes rather tight quarters. Like I said, you can’t help who you fall for. But hey, it might be worth it! Maybe your coworker is in fact your soulmate and you have to take that leap of faith.
I have friends who have dated their coworkers and some of those relationships have worked out. I mean, no one has gotten married but the relationship didn’t go up in flames. And then there are others who have ended horribly…horribly….badly. So, if you are going to date a coworker I recommend taking this advice.
- Don’t do it. I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should. Yes, the temptation could be too much to ignore and all you might want to do is cave in with every fiber of your being but…don’t do it!
- Think about repercussions. The relationship may go swimmingly for a few months, but is that time worth the fall out? The awkward silence and stares? And what if the break up isn’t mutual? One of you is going to be walking around longing for the other and taking every exchange as hope for reconciliation. What if that somebody is you?!
- Be careful who you tell. What I mean is, don’t put it on blast! You may have to tell HR and your boss, but don’t make it “news.” You don’t want your relationship to become a theme of gossip in the office.
- Be careful how you act. No p.d.a. in the office! Trust me. It not only makes everyone else uncomfortable but it takes away from the business persona that you want to have in the office.
- Don’t make a habit out of it. If you are someone who constantly dates their coworkers, you need to stop. Maybe those past relationships didn’t end badly but I promise you that your luck will run out eventually. And plus, you don’t want to be known as “the serial coworker dater.”
