Recently I watched a Netflix movie Fair Play. This movie is about a toxic relationship between a man and a woman who are co-workers in a hedge fund. The movie shows how the relationship turns toxic after the leading lady receives an out-of-turn promotion, which makes the leading man, who was about to marry the woman, jealous. As a result, their love begins to sour, and the relationship ends tragically. This movie reminds us why office romance can be harmful.
In this blog, we will discuss 08 reasons why engaging in romantic relationships with co-workers should be avoided. Please scroll down to read.
Table of Contents
You may see downfall in your performance
When you are in a romantic relationship with your co-worker, there are very high chances that you see a decline in your performance. It is natural for your testosterone or estrogen levels to increase when you are around someone you love.
In the case of romance at workplaces, due to higher levels of testosterone or estrogen, you always think about the ways to roam around your co-worker or you may try to have some private moments with him or her at the office.
What will happen if during working hours instead of focusing on your work, you try to seek some cozy moments with your love partner? Yeah, your performance would not be up to the mark and you will see a continuous downfall in your official performance. This may even hurt your career goals in the long term.
You can be a ‘Hot Topic’ for office gossip.
We all know that people love gossip. Offices are no exceptions. In fact, at workplaces gossiping is probably the best entertainment. And, if you are dating your co-worker, you give your colleagues the best and most regular topic for gossip.
Romantic relationships are not a straight-line path. Rather, they are a transverse wave with their high and low points. In cases of workplace romance, the low points of your relationships can easily be observed by your other co-workers. Whoa! Your colleagues have 7-8 hours, or in some cases a few days, to have some spicy discussion about your relationship.
It is a myth that two co-workers can hide their romance in their office. No, you can’t. And, if you are dating one of the most desirable co-workers, every aspect of your love story will be the talking point of your office.
Gossiping about your relationships by your colleagues may or may not cause you direct harm. However, it can lead to negative consequences. It may result in your colleagues judging you and assassinating your character, as well as that of your partner. This, in turn, could affect your working relationships with other people, leading to an unhealthy work environment.
You will find yourself in an awkward situation if you end your romantic relationship with your co-worker.
Suppose after a few months of dating your colleague, you realize that it’s not working and you have a break-up with him or her. Imagine? Yeah, you have to face your ex daily for most of the time of the day and you will find yourself in an awkward and embarrassing situation. I am sure no one wants to put oneself in an awkward situation at such a place where one has to spend most of the day for many years.
If you are the one who initiated the breakup, and your partner is finding it difficult to move on. Your work life can be messy and the situation can become more uncomfortable and awkward for you. You may feel pressured to justify yourself daily to your ex, which can also impact your work.
You may disrupt your work-life balance.
We all know that a happy work-life balance is a must for our physical, mental, and emotional health. We must free ourselves from workplace things, gossip, issues, and work pressure as soon as we leave the office. Instead of thinking about our workplace, we need to spend time on our personal lives, follow our hobbies, and concentrate on self-care.
However, in office romances, you may likely disrupt your work-life balance. You, as a couple, will always discuss office things after work. If you say no, you won’t, it will be a lie. Because it is a natural tendency to discuss your daily activities with your partner. But when you and your partner are in the same office, you will obviously discuss, office politics, pending work, or bitch about your boss. As a result, you will not be able to free your mind from office things even after office hours.
Many of you may argue that this can happen even if both partners are not working in the same organization. In such cases, since you are not part of the events your partner is discussing, your mind is free from any thoughts related to your workplace.
Similarly, when you are dating your co-worker, it is natural for you to bring complexities to your relationship at work. In such cases, your personal life issues may cause disturbances in your official responsibilities.
You may not be able to maintain professional integrity.
Having an affair with your co-worker may also lead to biased decision-making and unfair treatment by you. If you are dating someone who is junior to you or who works under your leadership, there are very high chances that you may compromise with your official integrity. You may cover up for your partner’s mistakes or reckless attitude towards work which can cause loss or harm to your organization.
Similarly, you may show favoritism towards your love interest, and in doing so you may ignore other more talented employees who are working under your leadership. This is not only detrimental to your organization but also a grave injustice to someone who deserves more and better opportunities at work.
You may face privacy issues.
Privacy and well-defined boundaries are important elements of a healthy relationship. However, when you are in a relationship with someone at your workplace and with whom you spend almost 24 hours a day, these boundaries can blur. As a result, your relationship may become bitter in a short span of time.
We all, once in a while, want a break from our daily routine life. We feel like hanging out with our colleagues and friends. However, many times it can be hard to do so when your partner is not in the mood for any after-office party and wants to go home ASAP. In such instances, requesting your partner to leave the office without you may be challenging, unless your partner is emotionally mature.
Similarly, you may face trust issues and unnecessary drama in your relationship. It may be possible that you are a friend to that colleague of yours about whom your partner feels insecure. This may cause significant trust issues and unnecessary emotional turmoil.
You may find yourself in some legal and HR issues.
Many organizations around the world have a policy that an employee cannot be in a relationship with your co-worker. Even if so, they cannot be posted in the same department or station.
So, if you are in a secret relationship with your co-worker that comes to the notice of your boss, you may get a notice from your HR department regarding violating company policies. This is definitely not good for you and your partner’s career perspectives. Things can be worse if you are in your dream job in the best organization.
You may be jealous of your partner.
Everyone wants to perform well in their career so that they can grow individually and fulfill their dreams. That is why, in every organization, everyone wants to work more and better than others so that they can get promotions, pay raises, and perks in their work life.
So, when your partner performs better than you and gets more recognition, by salary rise, promotion, or perks, in the same office where you work, you may start to be jealous of your partner.
Since jealousy in a relationship leads to feelings of insecurity, mistrust, and ultimately, the breakdown of the relationship, your romantic relationship may become toxic and can end on a very traumatic and sad note.
Conclusion
Having a romantic relationship with a co-worker can be alluring. But office romance can be a bad idea for many reasons. In this blog, we have seen that office romance can be detrimental to our professional lives as well as our relationships. Dating your co-worker can impact your performance at work, can cause setbacks to your career opportunities, or can impact your professional ethics. Sometimes, romantic relationships at the workplace can cause serious losses to your organization,
Dating with your office colleague can also be tricky and challenging for your relationship goals. It may cause trust issues in a relationship. Even in some cases, the relationship can become toxic.
Note: Office romance is not always bad. Office romances, when managed discreetly and professionally, can offer certain benefits. They often blossom from shared interests and common goals, creating a strong emotional connection. These relationships can improve teamwork, communication, and collaboration between co-workers, leading to a more harmonious work environment.