For single office workers out there, it is quite difficult not to feel lonely during Valentine's Day. You will see your officemates who have significant others receive chocolates, bouquets and teddy bears while you sit in your cubicle, wishing that the day will end quickly.
While it might be easy to get tempted into having a fling or a one-night stand with another officemate, it is best not to do so. If you are feeling incredibly alone, call your fellow single friends and have a singles party. Just make sure to stay away from that hot colleague who has been eyeballing you while other couples are happily exchanging Valentine's gift.
Fortune reported that any office romance that blooms most often than not must have the blessings of the HR department and the employees' immediate managers. This is to ensure that the relationship will not breed conflict of interest when it comes to workloads.
When the fling or liaison happens between a supervisor or subordinate, the issue about whether the supervisor will give the subordinate unfair advantage over the others will arise. Usually, the subordinate will have to leave the department or, in the worst-case scenario, the company.
Daily Business Review discussed how office romance could lead to lawsuits against the people involved. If the people who agreed to engage in a romantic liaison did not read company policies well, they might be breaking some company rules that could give the company cause to sue them.
In addition, when the romance goes sour and one of the parties hold grudges against the other, that person can claim harassment especially if the other person involved is an executive or someone who holds a higher position.
While it might be tempting to try it even once, you better carefully weigh the odds before jumping into an office romance. Regarding office friendships, Jobs & Hire previously carried a report on things you should not say to your office friends.
