19 Mar 2020

A work romance is something that's been explored in an endless array of TV shows and films, with shows like The Office or Brooklyn Nine-Nine showing us idealised versions of an office fling.

But it's hard to be faced with the reality that sometimes, but not always, workplace romances aren't always what they're cracked up to be.

 

The positives

A workplace romance is something that can develop authentically and beautifully. Depending how many hours a week you're working, you're spending your time with the same people for hours on end. And depending where you work, they’re probably like minded in some respect.

And before you know it, what was once a honest chat with a coworker can all of a sudden turn into a kiss at after-work drinks.

Real talk, workplace romances do have potential to work. You get to spend time with each other, you can make work something to look forward to, and you know the chemistry isn’t forced because the stress of whatever work you're doing hasn’t compromised that sweet sweet feeling of a crush.

Other positives include getting to share a friend group, the ability to dish about work drama and annoying customers, or if you decide to hide your relationship from your colleagues, you get to relish in the thrill of keeping it a secret. A forbidden love is hot!

The negatives

Whilst there’s a few positives in working together, your lives might become too interconnected that you’ll start to feel as if you don’t have your own life anymore or that you can’t do your own thing.

On top of this, work disputes could compromise integral parts of the relationship, and it could be harder than it seems to differentiate work and home arguments.

But the biggest issue with a workplace relationship is the question on everybody's lips- what happens if things turn pear-shaped?

If you begin to fall out of love with the co-worker and decide to break things off, you have to then decide if keeping the job is worth seeing your ex potentially everyday. 

If I was to give one wise, sacred, special and timeless piece of advice- when in doubt, don’t defecate where you eat. Work is always going to be a big part of our lives and it's probably best to keep the romance out of it.

However in saying that, if you set clear ground rules, or if you’re willing to keep it casual, occasionally a beauty can arise from an office fling. You’ve just gotta keep your wits about you!