Why an Office Romance is Bad for Your Career

Before you embark on an office romance and fall head over heals for a co-worker or the boss, consider these musical words of warning. “Love’s Got a Hold on You”: Any romance can be distracting, never mind an office romance. When the object of your affection works with you, you may find yourself gazing at your sweetheart instead of tending to your job responsibilities. “Looking Through the Eyes of Love”: An office romance can complicate the relationship between boss and subordinate. It changes your working relationship significantly. Offering criticism, or receiving it, can be difficult. You may not be able to, or want to, look critically at your significant other’s work and you might not be receptive to his or her critiques of your work. “Love is a Battlefield”:A disagreement at home will find its way to the office and a disagreement at the office will find its way home. “Prisoner of Love”: You might stay in an office romance longer than you want to because you are afraid of damaging your working relationship. “Breaking Up is Hard to Do”:You shouldn’t stay in a bad relationship, but your fears that ending it will damage your working relationship are realistic. Breakups are hard in general, but seeing your ex everyday can be grueling, even if both of you handle things in the best way possible. Sometimes love can’t be denied. If your feelings about a co-worker are so strong that you can’t deny them any longer, in spite of the warnings you just read, remember, “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.” Don’t put your relationship on display. Your co-workers don’t need to, and as importantly don’t want to, be privy to the ups and downs of your relationship About.com Guide