Don’t screw your coworkers!
That seems to be the consensus among most relationship gurus.
I typically get a steady stream of career experts sending me lists of dos and don’ts for employees when it comes to the matters of love. And as you can imagine, Valentine’s Day is open season. This month, I’ve gotten over 20 pitches from marketing people with news in some way related to Valentine’s or love or sex or romance.
It’s typically the same old same old — stay clear of office nooky. But one guy bucks the trend by saying workplace whoopee might indeed be a good thing.
HR departments are always trying to “sanitize the workplace for sexual relationships,” said Herman Aguinis, professor of organizational behavior and human resources at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. “By being overly concerned about sexual discrimination lawsuits, organizations have gone overboard in regulating workplace romances and, consequently, may have undermined their valuable human resources.”
Aguinis thinks there are “rewards” that come from office romances, beyond the rewards two lovers enjoy under the sheets.
You get:
* key organizational benefits, specifically increased performance,
* and satisfaction and commitment among employees.
He cautions against companies trying to put the kibosh on such relationships. Not that anyone can derail passion, rigth?
CareerBuilder just released a survey that showed: “Nearly four-in-ten (37 percent) workers said they have dated a co-worker at some time during their careers, in line with the 40 percent who said the same in both 2009 and 2008. Additionally, 32 percent said they went on to marry the person they dated at work.”
And it turns out younger workers are more than happy to have flings with their coworkers.
Another study by Workplace Options found that: “Half (51 percent) of younger workers aged 18-29 see a workplace romance as having positive effects, with the top positive effect being achievement of higher social or professional status at work. Older Americans disagree, with 79 percent arguing there are no positive effects from entering into a workplace relationship.”
Just like the old folks to put a damper on fun. Come on gray hairs, mashup already!
February 12th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Story of an office romance that worked out. I hired my brother-in-law many years ago to come work for
our company. I know that’s a bad thing to hire family but he was a good guy and worked hard. Well, he meet and feel in love with a girl in marketing and they started dating. To make a long story short, They have been married for 9 years and have 4 kids. My sister-in-law no longer works at the company but decided she wanted to stay home with the kids. Which to me is a very hard job !!!
February 12th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
It may be that the long-timers reflect on all the time and work they put in and resent how it seems that those with relationship capital are able to make jumps and see advancement faster than the pace they remember advancing. Some of it may just be that perception–they could have advanced quickly when younger, too–but in some cases it just may be bitterness arising from a reflection on many long years spent for minimal gain or personal satisfaction.
No matter the reason, there will always be those who are dissatisfied by the accomplishments of others. So long as the relationships are not resulting in special favors in the workplace, and so long as the relationship is not being played out like a melodrama in the workplace, I say live and let live.
February 13th, 2010 at 3:45 am
You know what? Life is boring enough as it is. With the exception of sitting alone in a snow plow watching the growing mountain of snow in front of you, or squirming my body into an air duct with a vacuum trying to clean filters, a workplace romance would be a grand spectacle. Heck, that would rank right up there with gluing the handset on a duplicate Boss phone and watching him make an attempt to pick it up about three times. Of course, he is the Boss, he wisely pushed the intercom button and all he heard a bunch of old guys chuckling. Life is boring.
“Half (51 percent) of younger workers aged 18-29….” Well, as a Republican, I most assuredly have the memory of an elephant. People who are 18-29 are basically on FIRE!!! At least I certainly was. I admit it absolutely. For those of us who claim they do not recall or who try to tell you otherwise are either programmed cyborgs or holograms. Of course there exists the career oriented young folks who have since matured and are desperately trying to relive their non-existent youth.How comical I say.
The point is although in so many circumstances those who are involved with each other in a workplace could create a distraction, nothing in this world is more important than LOVE. Of course if this relationship effects the bottom line, then it must be some how limited.