With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it is the perfect time to be thinking about love and relationships. But what about office romances?
instantprint, banner producers, recently conducted a survey of 1,500 UK office workers to find out their thoughts on office romances. The results were fascinating. Read on to find out why attitudes have changed post-pandemic and how you can make a move.
Why were people against office romances?
It turns out that 43% of those surveyed thought breakups created a bad or uncomfortable atmosphere in the workplace. In fact, 56% said they would prefer for relationships to be banned at work altogether. However, attitudes have changed since the pandemic hit – with 56% who said they preferred relationships to be banned reducing to only 16%.
What’s Changed?
The survey found that many people are now more open to office romances because they feel more connected with their co-workers than ever before – particularly due to virtual meetings during the lockdown. As a result, many people now feel comfortable expressing their feelings towards colleagues as long as it is done respectfully.
How to Make the Move
If you’re considering starting an office romance this Valentine’s Day (or any other time of year), then there are definitely some steps you need to take before making your move. First off, consider whether your company has any policies regarding romantic relationships in the workplace — and make sure you follow them.
Also, ask yourself if dating someone at work might jeopardise either person’s job security or cause potential problems in favouritism or other issues. Finally, think about how much privacy you have in your workplace and whether you’d feel comfortable being seen together by colleagues who could spread details and potentially misuse them if they wanted to harm either person involved in the relationship.
However, sometimes office romances can’t be avoided if you’ve found your special someone. But what’s the best way to make your move? A third (32%) of respondents suggested arranging a virtual lunch break together, while 29% said asking a colleague for a virtual drink was the way forward. 16% suggested sending them an email and 8% recommended sending them a gift or card. It seems there are plenty of ways to express your interest without breaking any company rules!
How Common Are Office Romances?
The law firm, Wright Hassle, found that just under 25% admit to having a romantic encounter with a colleague. So, office romances might be more common than you would first think!
Office romances may once have been frowned upon, but attitudes have changed radically since then – particularly since the pandemic hit us last year. Nowadays, many people are open to exploring relationships within their place of work – as long as it’s done respectfully and doesn’t disrupt productivity or create uncomfortable atmospheres in the team afterwards.
With this in mind, why not use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for you and your colleagues to explore new connections with each other this year? After all, love could be closer than you think… perhaps even right under your nose.
