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4 Reasons Why People Date At Work Has Been Identified
It is an undeniable fact that lots of employee and employer date at work, in fact statistic shows that about 40 – 47% of employee has been involved in workplace romance. Although it is a common place but it is less often talk about.
In Horan & Chory, 2011 publication, a workplace romance is considered a relationship that occurs between 2 members of an organization where sexual attraction is present, affection is communicated, and both members recognize the relationship to be something more than just professional and platonic.
Is there any greater benefit and risk involve in dating at work?
Yes of course, there are benefits and risk involve. The benefits include dating for love, wanting to care for someone closer and some work place romance are driven by the opportunity to obtain professional benefits at work.
Risked involve is that some company don’t allow employee to date at work, it is against their work ethics as both of them can’t be under the same employer. Sometimes it become the battle between employer and employee trying to date a particular woman who both of them find sexy and good enough to be their date, considering the fact that they need someone in their life. [Read; Ways to save your relationship and career if your boss is flirting with you]
Another risk involves is that, some employee and or employer already have family at home yet, they still allow workplace romance which of course will affect their family at home and oftentimes the attention is divided between the family at home and the new found romantic partner at work.
Buy why do people date at work?
Four reasons have been identified why workplace romance took place and the reasons are highlighted below.
1. Similarity between workers
It is understandable that when there is similarity between two opposite sex in a group, organization or offices, there is bound to be an attraction in between them. The similarity is uncovered as they see them themselves every day in a comfortable environment. This similarity has a very strong impact that their initial physical contact.
The truth is that, if you found yourself a lot around someone that you share some similarities with, you’re probably going to develop some likeness which can even end up with romance especially when you need someone in your life.
2. Time factors
It is natural if you spend lots of time together at work with co-worker (male-female or female-male) and you develop some sort of romantic feelings toward the other person. Even if you may not find the person romantic enough when you first met at work but spending lots of time together will make him or her attractive to you and the romance could just start like that.
Oftentimes, you spend hours like 8, 9, 10, and even 11 hours with this person at work learning about their lives, you’ll be forced to share more details of your life too and sometimes, your intimates details of your life are going to be shared with this same person you spend lots of hours with 5 days in a week that has only 7 days. Think about it.
3. Desire for physical relationship
Workplace romance are driven by the desire to have physical relationship, this sometimes can be refers to as hook-up. In this kind of desire, sex is never left out of it and as long as the desire is still there, both participant will be willing to go on and on with it,
4. Easier opportunity
Workplace gives room for close proximity of workers and oftentimes it promote better communications between workers. With this ease of opportunity, it becomes an avenue for someone to be involves in workplace romance especially when they found someone they can share their life intimate stories with.
Working in the same environment make people to share common interest in what they believe in, the opportunity doesn’t come easier than that for people to initiate workplace romance after all, there are similarities in the form of common interest, intimate life stories too have been shared between the two individuals that’ll be getting into workplace romance.
Sincerely, all romantic relationships are complicated, but office romance present uncommon challenges as a result of the many hours you spend with someone in the office which often times you can’t even spend it with your partner at home if you’re married. And again the unique challenge it poses is how to manage the perceptions of other co-workers.
Those who enter into workplace romances should be aware of the workplace implications and challenges that such relationships present. These challenges can, and should be, managed – and it is my opinion that most HR professionals and organizations should work harder at better equipping their offices to manage and understand workplace romance.
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