Office Romance: Is it Worth the Trouble?

By Rigel Celeste on September 22nd, 2009

739769_e-love Today’s corporate culture has people packed together like sardines in office buildings filled with rows of cubicles, spending upwards of 40 hours a week together — it’s no wonder romances spring up! But if you find yourself feeling sparks with a coworker one question is bound to come up: is it worth the risk?

Love is elusive, and for most of us chemistry isn’t something that pops up with just anyone so we want to pay attention when it does. But if you’re thinking Mr Right might be sitting down the hall or in the desk next to you then consider these pros and cons before taking the leap:

The Cons:

People will find out. No matter how good you think you are at hiding your new relationship it’s nearly impossible to do it successfully in an office full of romance-deprived, drama-seeking busy-bodies that have nothing better to do than pry into your personal life.
People won’t like it. For some it will be jealousy, for others a fear of favoritism, and then there’s always the select few who just want everybody else to be as miserable as they are.
If it doesn’t work out, you’ll have to see your ex everyday. In an office-romance-gone-bad your usual coping mechanism of getting rid of everything that reminds you of ‘him’ won’t work — instead you’ll have to see and/or talk to him on a daily basis. Fun.
You could end up hating your job, or worse yet, losing it. You could also end up doing serious damage to your professional reputation and lose some of your career-related social standing and the respect of your boss.

The Pros:

When it works it really works. There’s really just one “pro” on this list but it’s a biggie: If your romance ends up working out for the long term, you might just end up with one of the best, strongest relationships ever. This is due to the solid foundation of shared interests and camaraderie that working together creates.

The Bottom Line:

What it really boils down to is whether the risks outweigh the potential benefit in your particular situation. If you see real, lasting potential (versus nothing more than a hottie with witty water-cooler talk) then it just might be a gamble worth taking.

(Photo courtesy of nubuck on stock.xchng)