Is Workplace Romance Acceptable? Some Thoughts!
In the 21st century romantic relationships in the workplace are becoming a very common thing. But it has a wide range of aspects that every employee and manager must consider. There are often conversations about how to ‘deal with it’. But is dealing with a work space romance required to keep the professionalism intact? Or is it just another way through which our professional and personal lives get mingled together? Here are a few important aspects regarding workplace romance that every employee should consider.
Don’t search for it
This is a must! Don’t enter a workplace and try to find yourself a partner. Although for many the professional circle is the only social circle they have access to, using it as a means of romantic reprisal is absolutely wrong. If a romantic relationship does build up over time through natural course it is acceptable. But predatory behavior within the office space should never be entertained. Not only does this lead to professional deterioration, but it can also create an unsafe space primarily for female employees.
Keep your working hours for the work
Maybe you have found a partner at office or you and your partner work at the same place. Either way, one must try to keep the romantic side of their relationship outside the bounds of the office. While this can never be done to a complete extent, one should carefully decide whether your interaction with your better half within the workplace is leading to lack of professional quality.
Sure, have lunch together or ask the occasional ‘how are you doing’, but a constant tagging along sort of behavior is what should be avoided at all cost.
Learn to set boundaries
How you interact with your romantic partner outside the office and inside it needs to be defined. Talk about it openly with each other and ensure that both of you are comfortable enough to share a space where your romance is not the primary goal. If your romantic approach is becoming an inherent part of your office life then you need to put it under check.
Chances are that your managers are keeping a closer watch on the both of you than the rest of the employees, so make sure that you don’t give them a reason to put you under the fire.
Handle break-ups professionally
Relationships can end, but if you share a work space then it is your professional responsibility to ensure that you are not allowing it to hamper your professional relationship. Stay on talking terms and keep a safe distance that does not violate each other’s comfort zones. Having to leave a workplace simply because of a break up is one of the worst things that can happen to an employee.
So, is workplace romance an absolute no? Definitely not. But does it need to be practiced within bounds? Clearly yes. Keep these points in mind if you face such a situation and remember to not search for it actively.