You spend most of your day locked up between the walls of your job in South Africa. If you’re lucky enough, work is much more enjoyable if you have some hunky eye candy walking around to keep things interesting. But having a crush on a co-worker and getting into a full blown relationship with a colleague are two totally different things. When it comes to dating in the workplace, it’s always best to tread lightly. There are a bunch of reasons why office romances can stand the test of time, and who knows, your soulmate may very well be seated in the cubicle next to you. But in most cases, office romances are a big no-no. Keep reading to find out 12 reasons why you should never date a co-worker.
1. Co-Workers Will Keep Tabs
When everyone catches on about your new office romance, they will keep tabs on all the happenings of your relationship. Colleagues will be looking out every time you and your boo lock eyes, they will stop and stare when they catch him hanging out by your desk, and if the two of you both show up late to work, they’ll definitely take notice.
2. You’ll Have to See Him Everyday
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after a night of passion with your bae, it’s somewhat relieving to have to go your separate ways in the morning. But when you date a co-worker, you’re forced to see each other every.single.day. Although you may not be in the same department, and you might not even have to interact on a daily basis, being in a relationship with a colleague means you don’t really get the chance to miss each other. This can cause the excitement of your relationship to wear off quickly.
3. You’ll be at the Center of the Gossip
The second your fellow co-workers have an inkling that the two of you are hooking up, you’ll be the main topic of office gossip. Everything about your new relationship can get twisted up, and it can really do a number to your career and reputation. Be very careful of this.
4. His Cute Face Will Distract You
Dating a co-worker can be really distracting – especially if he has a super cute face that you can’t take your eyes off of. Staring at your bae while he makes photocopies and undressing him with your eyes during a team meeting will only make it harder for you to perform your job to the best of your abilities. And if your boss catches on to your lack of production, you may get a fast pass to the unemployment line.
5. Your Conversations Will Be About Work
When dating a co-worker, it’s common that most of your conversations will center around work, what’s happening at work, your annoyances at work, and office gossip. Over time, you may find out that you and your boo don’t really have much in common outside of the workplace after all.
6. The Work/Life Balance Gets Messy
People struggle to maintain a healthy work/life balance, but when you date a co-worker it’s almost an impossible feat. You may become each other’s sounding board inside and outside of the office, and refraining from tackling work issues at home becomes much harder when your partner is a co-worker.
7. Jealousy Will Increase
If you just so happen to be dating your boss or your manager, it may spark some workplace jealousy. Your co-workers may feel that you receive special treatment, and you’ll likely be ostracized because of it. Do you really want to deal with that? Didn’t think so.
8. Lunch Gets Awkward
Do you have to eat lunch together everyday? Will he get offended if you go out with other co-workers? Will he pout when you forget to pick him up something on your way back from Chick-fil-A? What if you want to have a solo lunch to clear your mind, but he insists on joining you? You used to look forward to that hour off to decompress and destress, but now, lunch just turns into a tricky mess.
9. Goodbye, Vacation
If you and your bae work in the same department, good luck trying to get time off together. Scheduling a vacation with a co-worker is hell, and managers aren’t too quick to have two workers out at the exact same time.
10. You Can’t Escape After an Argument
In regular relationships, you can always head off to work to get away after an argument. But when you date a coworker, there is literally no escape. You still have to see each other after the damage has been done, and your colleagues will probably notice your icy demeanor. It definitely adds to some unneeded workplace drama.
11. You Can Get Fired
Before diving head first into a workplace romance, it’s always best to check your employee manual to see if fraternization is against company policies. If your place of employment has strict rules about office relationships, you could lose your job if your employer finds out. So you have to ask yourself, is it really worth it?
12. Breaking Up Will Suck
Everything is butterflies and roses at the start of your relationship, but what about when things go sour? Most office romances don’t work out, so if the two of you breakup, it will only make things at work uncomfortable and downright unbearable. Co-workers may feel forced to choose sides, and they may even make things worse by updating you on his every move. And what happens if your ex decides he wants to date Shelly in Accounting next? Bring on the drama!
