Spending forty hours, if not more, at work means that most of the people you know are there. If you are in the dating stage of life, it may feel like it is inevitable to date someone from your work building. There can be a lot of complications when this occurs. Learn from those that have lived through it and listen to their advice. Before jumping into a relationship, make sure you think about the following tips.
Be Serious
The worst situation would be to jump into a relationship on a whim and have it end in a disaster and create an awkward work environment. For the rest of the time in that position, you will have to see and interact with that person. Before accepting or asking someone out, make sure you see a long-term possibility. If you do not see a lasting connection, there is no reason to put yourselves through the inevitable outcome. It would be good to visualize what your life would be like outside of the office. Do you have more in common than work? If not, it is probably a bad idea.
Office Hierarchy
Another issue to consider is if you are on the same level at work. Most offices have rules about dating those for those at different seniority levels. These guidelines are for the protection of everyone involved. They want to stop any office politics from being affected. They also have to worry about sexual harassment situations. Dating a supervisor comes will a lot of extra baggage to take care of if allowed. Look at the fine print or talk to human resources before headed out on your first date.
No Relationship Talk
Work is for work. When at work, the big fight you had the night before will need to be put on hold. The office or break room is not a place to hash out your problems. This is a good rule for friendships as well. Personal life drama brought into the workspace will decrease your motivation. All your work tasks will drag on or remain undone if you frequently stop talking about unrelated topics. Keep personal life at home and work at work.
Zero PDA
This should not even have to be mentioned, but we have all seen that couple that couldn’t stay away during work hours. Any type of affection is not appropriate at work. Being aware of coworkers’ feelings is part of working in an office, especially when romance is involved. There are going to be rumors and assumptions made when you mix working and dating. Eliminating any idea of favoritism will start with keeping your hands to yourself. Treating your partner just like you would any other friend at work is essential to not ruining your office environment.
Dating is a challenge without adding the extra layer of being coworkers. Take the time to decide if it is something that you can handle, and then set your ground rules.