Recent surveys in both the UK and US have revealed a significant number office workers have indulged in an office romance.
In the US, CareerBuilder.com has released the results of a November survey that found 39% of workers have dated a colleague. Some 30% of these relationships ended in marriage.
Three in ten of these office flings were found to be with a boss or senior colleague.
We were also found to be equally amorous on our side of the Atlantic. Last year a dating website discovered 75% of workers in the United Kingdom had thought about having an office romance. Around half of these actually went through with the relationship.
Whilst love may be in the air on Valentine’s Day, Heather Grant, a lawyer with Maxwell Hodge, has warned romance in the office can become a “thorny issue.”
She said: “Issues tend to arise more when a relationship breaks down but even at the start of a relationship, particularly when it’s between a manager and their subordinate.
“It can lead to accusations of favouritism from other employees.”
Ms. Grant advised employers on how to avoid such issues. She said: “In the UK, employers can be held liable for the misconduct of their employees – unless they show they have attempted to prevent such behaviour – so it’s vital to have a written policy in place addressing harassment.”