Earlyface

Since about a third of our time is spent at
the office, it's not surprising that romance
can easily spark between colleagues.
At work, you're often surrounded by bright,
driven people who understand your work
stress and worries at the office, so dating a
colleague is actually pretty common, says
career coach Barbara Pachter.
"[Work] is where people meet a lot of
people. It's either there or online dating,"
Pachter, author of the book"The Essentials
Of Business Etiquette," tells Business Insider.
According to a Payscale office romance
report, 15% of the 42,000 respondents said
they would date someone they work with.
And one out of five people who gave
romance with a coworker a shot ended up
marrying their colleague.
However, there are some basic rules to keep
in mind when dating someone you work
with. Below, Pachter tells us the most
important do's and don'ts you should
follow.
Do follow your company's policy.
Every organization is different. If you're
interested in a colleague, make sure you
know your company's policy, so that you
don't violate any corporate regulations.
You especially need to be aware if you're
required to come forward with your
relationship. The last thing you want is for a
love interest to have a negative impact on
your career.
Don't reveal your relationship on social
media sites.
"Keep the relationship private. Your
coworkers do not need to know the
intimate details of your romance," she says.
"No posting information or photos about
your latest love interest on Facebook or
sending tweets about it. You never know
who will see them."
Do set rules from the beginning.
This means that you should both have a
discussion from the beginning about how
to conduct yourselves, what both of you
want out of the relationship, and how to
handle the situation if the relationship falls
apart, says Pachter.
Don't display any physical affection in
front of coworkers.
Pachter says there should never be any
physical displays of affection when in a
professional setting. This includes kissing,
hugging, hand-holding, or even staring at
each other from across the room. These
rules should be followed in the office as well
as at social work events, such as parties and
happy hours with your coworkers.
Do be professional if it ends.
"Another downside to workplace
relationships occurs when a love affair
dissolves. You may still have to see or work
with the person," says Pachter. "You can’t
vent your negative feelings in public, even if
the person treated you poorly."
"If the relationship fails, be professional and
adult about it," she says. In other words, no
shouting matches.
Don't date your boss.
Whatever you do, be very careful about
pursuing someone higher on the totem pole
than you, especially if you directly report to
this person.
"Relationships are difficult enough without
having your boss or a subordinate as your
Valentine," says Pachter. "If you are dating
your boss, arrange to report to someone
else. If you are the boss, arrange to have
your subordinate report to somebody else
before you start dating."

tnxs