Kingsbridge

Workers worried about taking that brief flirtation over the photocopier to the next level need have no fear, because new research suggests that firms should actively support workplace romances.

The study suggests that firms that forbid office romances should think about reviewing their policies on work place relationships, and perhaps even offer support in the event of a break up.

University of Westminster psychology lecturer Chantal Gautier interviewed people from a range of professions who had indulged in an affair with a colleague, including airline employees, financial and IT recruitment workers.

She found that employees said that their productivity had not suffered during the affair, but their performance had decreased following the break up of the romance.

"Organisations are no longer able to turn a blind eye and ignore the workplace romance phenomenon. In fact, they may be responsible for the creation of perfect playgrounds for fraternisation to take place," she said.

"Several factors could play a role in the development of the workplace romance; for example, a culture of people working longer hours perhaps coupled with increasing numbers of women entering the workplace.

"At the same time, organisations have a tendency to recruit employees on the basis of person-organisation fit, which together with social psychological theories on attraction, could also contribute to the development of work place romances.

"The problem is that, after any break up, these people often have to work together and see each other every day. This can have problems, especially when there is little support or understanding from the employers, which is something all participants in this study particularly highlighted."

Gautier presented the research, titled 'The myths and realities surrounding workplace romances: a qualitative investigation', at the British Psychological Society's Division of Occupational Psychology Conference in Glasgow earlier this year.

How to have a successful office romance:

If you do decide to take the leap, follow Business Training Works' seven steps for dating smart at work.

1. Check the rules of engagement
First, does your workplace have a no-dating policy? If it does, think about making your love connection somewhere else - the gym, the grocery store - anywhere but work. It's not worth risking your career for a mystery date. Besides, after going out, you may not even like your office crush.

2. Consider the breakup
Assuming there is no problem with rule one, the next issue you must consider is the breakup. What? Yes, that's right - the breakup. If you hate the idea of seeing your ex-love daily or if you think he or she could turn into a Fatal Attraction bunny boiler or worse, you should strongly consider passing on office romance. However, if you think you and the other person can stay professional if the relationship goes sour, it's time to take the next step.

3. Verify availability
Once you have targeted your Romeo or Juliet, you should verify that he or she is not already involved with someone else. There is no need to show your cards if Romeo is happily married. For that matter, even if Romeo is unhappily involved, he is off limits. Scandal at the office is not good for your career. You would be better off buying yourself a box of chocolates and spending February 14 with unattached friends or alone.

4. Keep it casual
If you discover that she is unattached and you want to put the moves on Juliet while still keeping it professional, make it easy for her to say "no". You don’t want her to feel as if she has to go out with you. You may say something such as, "I'm thinking of going to the Blue Crab for Valentine's Day. Would you like to come with me?" If she says "yes", then great. If she declines, you can still save face. Say something such as, "That's too bad. I really thought you would enjoy the food there. If you ever want to go some other time, let me know." One word of caution here: If you are turned down, do not ask Juliet again. The last thing you want to do is run the risk of a sexual harassment charge.

5. Avoid shoptalk
A major danger of an office first date is talking about work. Try to avoid this trap for two reasons. First, you need to find out if you and your date have any personal interests in common. Since you won't be dating during work hours, a hobby or two you could enjoy together wouldn't hurt. Second, when the conversation relates to work, you risk saying something you normally would not have said simply to have something to say. Put another way, you may end up saying something about your coworkers or the business that you will later regret if the romance fizzles.

6. Mind your tongue
Just as you should watch what you say about work when out on a date with an officemate, the reverse is also true. Keep your personal business personal. Some of your coworkers may speculate about your date, but you don't need to fill in the blow-by-blow details for them.

7. Plan for the future
If your relationship gets serious and the two of you work closely together, one of you may want to consider transferring to a different department or even changing jobs. By doing so, you keep your work life and personal life separate. Furthermore, if worse comes to worse and you do break up, you won't have to work on top of each other.

Are office romances good or bad? Submit your comments using the form below.

The article Study gives green light to office romance originally appeared on 999 Today