Office romance: When cupid visits the work place

A friend of a friend found herself involved with a workmate. 29-year-old Leila (not real name) is an accountant and a single mother of a three-year-old boy. Like any adult, she dates periodically, but isn’t looking for a serious relationship right now. She enjoys male company with all the benefits and attention that come with dating. Sometime back, Leila went out on her first date with a co-worker. They started out as “hi” buddies who would only meet in the office corridors going about their work, until one day, they found themselves stuck in the printing room. They started by cracking jokes about the faulty machine and how the company needs to buy a new one. Two days later, David (not real name) met Leila in a restaurant where he had gone for lunch. They connected. They had lunch a few more times and it culminated into the aforementioned dinner. At the onset, it seemed as though David had a thing for her but she treaded carefully. Leila told me that David would do nice things for her like buying her cupcakes, sending her romantic emails and calling to check if her son was fine. She enjoyed all this, as all girls do when it comes to attention; casual sex was soon on the table. All this came crumbling down at the company’s end-of-year party when David turned up with a slender hottie (Leila said she couldn’t believe how hot the girl was) on his arm and he blatantly introduced Leila to the hot girl (who happened to be his fiancée) while acting like nothing had transpired between him and Leila. Normally, Leila felt exploited. After that, Leila tried her best to avoid David while he kept on trying to look for her. His pleas to listen to an explanation fell on deaf ears. She recovered and moved on. After three months, there was a new position within the company and Leila wanted it. Among the people on the panel was David and her short fling cost her job. Most companies have a rather strong stand on workplace romance. Personally, I think if something can jeopardise your job or limit your earning potential, stay away from it. However, things happen, and love gets in the way of things. With the scarcity of jobs nowadays, I think it’s too risky to lose that position over a few steamy sessions but even that fear is overpowered by love. James Niwemungu says, “I found love right outside my office door. A newly employed secretary, Sarah Muteteri, at the time is now my wife and mother of my three children.” Evelyn Marian Kanziga’s fiancée, also a co-worker proposed to her last year. Luckily, their work place had no policies about co-workers dating. “It never affected our work but my husband decided to resign because he was afraid of being ‘laid-off’.” “People usually let their guard down,” says a Management Consultant who preferred anonymity. “There is a lot of common sense involved in these things but when people get romantically involved, they throw caution to the wind. It may eventually impact your career.” Another Human Resource Manager working with one of the top insurance companies says, “We strongly prohibit departmental romances whether between employees or involving a supervisor and an employee. There was such a case and the man resigned in favour of the woman and they are now married.” It is important to consider all angles before starting a relationship with someone at work. One advantage is finding someone that you usually share a lot in common, which often makes the relationship better. Another benefit is, according to Mark Bizimana, who is married to his former work mate, is being closer and not having to wait for a phone call or return a message. “But this doesn’t mean that you should be a constant figure in front of your girlfriend,” Bizimana says.